


Daganronpa: Until Proven Guilty

by ochacovity



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Fan Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), Fanganronpa, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Multi, Murder Mystery, My first fic please be nice, Past Abuse, Substance Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:08:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 33
Words: 88,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26340037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ochacovity/pseuds/ochacovity
Summary: For Kihona Hideyoshi, Lorem University is a second chance. A chance to be more than just the rich kid,  more than an aspiring psychologist.More than the girl who has a past she cannot escape.But soon, her life is stripped away from her. Trapped as one of 17 participants, she is forced into a game of life and death. To win is to kill, to refuse is to die.The verdict is final.Justice must be served.No one is innocent.
Comments: 11
Kudos: 20





	1. Overture: Copycat

**Author's Note:**

> hi there! please read the trigger warnings before reading. :)  
> i'm crossposting this story on wattpad (also @ochacovity), where there will also be official art. it's also more fun for discussion, so i encourage you to read on there if you can (pls i need to feed my family :0)
> 
> have fun!

_The night drags on ahead of me as I tap at the keys on my laptop. I don't even stop to read back the words I've written. I just stare at the white screen before me, with no sound other than the 'click, click, click' as I type. My eyes strain against the light that sucks every last ounce of energy out of me, like it wants me to black out from exhaustion. My fingers dance across the keyboard, sending a stream of meaningless filler sentences across the screen in hopes of reaching the word limit._  
_'A 5000-word essay, which may determine my final grade, due tonight at 12:00 AM,' the little nagging voice in the back of my mind says, 'of course I would leave it to the last minute.'_  
_I glance at the little clock in the corner of my screen. It reads 11:42. There's just enough time._  
_My throat aches from thirst, but I push on and try to cram out just a few more paragraphs. Heart thumping against my ribs, I rub my temples, screw up my eyes and try to think as hard as I can._  
_"Useless."_ _I've run out of ideas and I'm 300 words short. I shake my hair out of my tired eyes, trying to think through anything that could get me out of this._

_"Pretend I have the flu? No, I've used that excuse so many times. I could write some random words in white? No, no, as if my professor is that stupid..."_  
_I catch myself thinking aloud._  
_"Did I seriously just say all that?"_  
_Again._

_Now I know it's time to take a break. Shutting my laptop with a reluctant sigh, I flex my fingers. The sound of my knuckles cracking sends a wave of satisfaction down my spine as I swing my legs out from under my crumpled sheets and meander towards the kitchen._  
_The journey through my pitch-black flat is unsettling. Everything is quiet, still, and the air lingers around me as I move, like it's watching me. Waiting. The clock ticks rhythmically, almost as if to mock me. My fingers fumble against the wall in hopes of finding the light switch. The fan starts to hum low, sending a cold breeze over my bare chest. I squint, shielding my eyes from the sudden change of light._  
_Then, out of the corner of my eye, so sudden I barely notice it, something moves._

_The sound of footsteps against the carpet grips me like an icy hand around my heart. I turn. No sign of anything. The movement stops as suddenly as it started. All kinds of possibilities fly through my head. Murderer? Robber? Really inconsiderate landlord?_  
_"Oh yeah, I have roommates."_  
_I laugh to myself, humiliated by my own skittishness. Brushing it off, I head to the cupboard and take a tall glass, covered with half-washed_ _stains, and fill it to the brim. The sound of running water puts my mind at rest and my heartbeat slowly begins to settle. Putting the glass to my lips, I let the water run down my throat as the cool sensation seems to flood my entire body. When I'm done, I toss the glass in the sink, leaving it for someone more organised than me to clean up._

_For a moment, I stop to think. Is this how I really want to be? Letting my life happen around me as I sit and do nothing. I can't bring myself to care. In the end, it's all for a degree in a subject I'm hardly interested in. I'm here for another year at most, and then I can chase my dreams. Or some other bullshit to that effect._  
_"I guess I'd better finish" I switch off the light in the kitchen and try not to trip on the way back to my room._  
_As soon as my feet brush up against my bedsheets, I'm reminded of the intense panic of writing this damn thing. 250 more words, 249, 248. More, more. The words bang against my skull, as if begging to be released. Cold sweat clings to my forehead but I persevere._

_A noise._  
_The floorboards let out a sudden screech, ringing through the flat like a drill. I stop typing and the room falls quiet. That can't be my roommates._  
_Scuffling, shifting, mumbling. Do I run? Do I hide? God only knows where they are. If I run, I could just end upgiving myself to whoever's out there. If I hide, they'll just find me, and that's it._  
_I slam my laptop and shove it under my pillow, pulling the sheets to my neck. I want to call out, but the words can't seem to creep off my lips. Like a burrowing kitten, I slide under the covers and cross my fingers._  
_And once again, silence. Almost as if the whole world comes to a halt. Everything but the violent thumping of my heart._

_Cowering under the covers, I let time blur into a mess. Seconds into minutes. Minutes into hours. For all I know, it could be morning. Or it could have been less than a minute._  
_Silence. More silence. An eternity of silence. Silence so deep, I start to realise how much of a child I'm being. Of course there are no monsters or maniacs in my room. The door's locked, for fuck's sake._  
_Relieved, I emerge from my pathetic cocoon and rest my head on the pillow. The tension slowly fades, and I feel at peace buried in my thick duvet._  
_Slowly, I begin to drift off._  
_Forget the essay, you've had enough trauma for tonight._

_And then pressure._  
_Forceful pressure straight on my face. What feels like one of my cushions clamps over me like an industrial machine. My eyes widen,_ _and I can hear the grunting of a vaguely deep-voiced man as the pressure increases, forcing the air from my lungs._  
_Darkness._  
_I flail my arms and legs, trying to break free from his grip. Thoughts and possibilities flash through my mind in a heap of confusion and fear._  
_Who's out there?_ _Are they going to kill me? Am I dying_?

_Is this it?_

_I try to kick, but as I begin to choke on the lack of air, I'm left squirming like a centipede. My eyes fill with tears. But I_ _can still feel another presence. Like there's someone else here too._

_Oh my god. What do they want from me?_

_Chest tightening, I cry out in pain. I feel my lungs burning deep within me, and I pray that this is all a sick, twisted dream._

_Footsteps. Slowly shuffling towards me, becoming louder and closer with every step. I feel a mouth by my ear, hot breath tickling my skin._  
_"You're lucky, this is just the beginning..."_

_I widen my eyes more._

_This is where I die_

_Slowly, slowly, slowly, consciousness slips away from me._  
_Slowly. Painfully._  
_Until there's nothing._


	2. Prologue - 1: Lorem University for the Not-So-Gifted

_Vrr, vrr, vrr._

The moment I step off the boat, my phone starts vibrating in my bag, muffled by all the random junk I've thrown in there over time. 

_Vrr, vrr, vrr._

I tut, rolling my eyes, and begin rummaging through the bottomless pit of my handbag, but my long, fake nails can barely grasp a tissue.

_Vrr, vrr, vrr_ "

Jesus, shut up," I murmur, hoping none of the people around me heard. Eventually, the phone is in my hand. The screen reads 'Mom', and the temptation to press that little red 'decline call' button has never been stronger. But if there's a time she'll want me to answer, it's now.

_Vrr, vrr-_

"Hey, Mom!" 

To my dismay, it's not just my mother. Every member of my family simultaneously greets me, their voices distorted by the lack of signal. I clutch my luggage in my hand and hold my breath. 

"How's everything going?" My mother practically squeals, "What's it like? Oh god, I just can't _wait_ to hear!" 

I chuckle lightly, "God, I've only just got off the boat." 

"She's off the damn boat?" The voice of my older brother, Eiji, instantly clicks in my brain, sending a wave of anger through my veins, "Congrats sis." 

_Why did *he* have to ruin my day?_

Ignoring my mother's incoherent babbling, I take a look at the building in front of me, nerves bubbling in my stomach. 

Lorem University for the Gifted. Possibly one of the most sought after schools in Europe, and it's standing right before me. Despite the pictures I'd tirelessly scrolled through online, its beauty takes me rather off guard. Each building is a deep, red brick, paired with white painted windows, and covered in ivy as if placed by hand. 

_Yeah. I can live here._

"It's beautiful," I smile. My mother lets out a strange noise, similar to that of a hamster, before being interrupted by my father.

"You have an image to uphold here, Kihona," He says, his voice not once faltering. I sometimes wonder if he's actually an emotionless husk, "Don't let us down."

Of course, he has no interest in my success or grades. I doubt he even cares about me at all. The Hideyoshi image is all he's ever cared about, how well his business is doing, how much money he's earning, it's all the same to him. And still so much more important than his own children.

"Kihona!" My little brother, Ryuto calls, presumably further away than my parents are, "I love you! Tell me all about it tomorrow!"

His words fill me with elation like they always do. By far the sweetest member of the family, Ryuto has always admired me in a way. Like the annoying younger siblings people have as a kid, where they copy every single thing you do. But Ryuto is so genuine, so kind. He sticks out like a sore thumb in terms of personality. 

"Ryuto, be quiet," Eiji shushes him, and his voice fades away. 

"Mom, it's almost 9," I say, hoping and praying the signal will just cut out there and then, "I should be leaving now."

"Yes, yes!" Mother says, her words quick and snappy, "Of course. Do well, darling!"

"Don't get fucked!" Eiji taunts me.

The moment we exchange our goodbyes, I hang up the phone, and their voices are gone.

A few other students are beginning to come into the university, suitcases in hand. Some are waving to their parents, others are in huddles of friends, whispering to each other about lord knows what. 

_Well. This is it._

The Lorem University for the Gifted isn't like any other university. Though it resides on a small, uninhabited island off the coast of England, it attracts many students from across the world with its prestige. You have to have potential - the potential to be amazing at what you do. And I was one of the lucky ones, picked as one of the few Future Ultimate Students. 

Though, it's not like I deserve it. The image of my father sliding a stack of money across the university board's table with a smirk is too clear in my head. I've no idea if that's what actually happened, but it wouldn't surprise me. Psychology is more of a hobby, never an aspiration, to me. But there's no point in being ungrateful.   
With haste, I grab my suitcase and dash through the gates as carefully as I can, trying to avoid falling over my heels. I enter a grand courtyard, surrounded by the same red-brick walls. A small fountain sits in the middle, paired with 4 benches, some of which have already been occupied by other students. People hustle from one end to another, staring at crumpled sheets of paper, desperately trying to wade their way through life.

That reminds me. I grab my letter from my pocket and scan it briefly.

_9:30AM, College 1-B Common Room._

I nod. I can get there in time.

Shoving my way through an army of students, I eventually find myself at the doors to the 1-B building. 

_Could they really not come up with more creative names at a place like Lorem?_

It's different to the other buildings, though the aesthetic still pairs well. The walls are more of a beige sandstone, with the same white accents. A huge pair of double doors lies in front of me.

_This is it._

_Once I enter these doors, my life is in my own hands._

_I'm alone, but I'm independent._

No more parents nagging me to keep my hair down. No more hand-holding and babying. No more psychotic bullies. More freedom. And the chance to abandon the girl I was before. To abandon my past.

I beam to myself, clutching my paper close to my heart. I will become an Ultimate Psychologist. And I'll do it well.

With pride, I step towards the doors, pushing them gently.

Suddenly, a strange sense of dizziness wraps around my head, gripping me tightly enough to stop me dead in my tracks. I feel weak. Senseless. Like my soul has left my body. The world around me warps, swirling and distorting my vision.   
My feet give out from underneath me.   
And then black  
  


* * *

_"Hey, can you hear me?"_

Darkness surrounds me like an iron blanket weighing down on my chest. It's cold, so cold. 

_"Are you okay? Did you hit your head?"_

My head throbs, as if it could just shoot out of my skull into the abyss. Every inch of my body hurts.

_"I can see you breathing, don't play dead on me!"_

And then, without warning, _thwack!_

A sudden surge of pain shoots through me, though this time, situated between my thighs. The light hits me with a flash, colours dancing around as I try to adjust. I feel my back against a hard wooden floor. Above me is a blank white ceiling, slightly dusky and dirty from ageing and a small ceiling fan whirring gently. I take a moment to let the pain subside, and jolt upright, only to be met with a warm, hard surface against my forehead.

"Ow, watch it!"

My head screams in pain again, and I look down to see a small, dark-skinned girl lying almost suggestively on the floor. Her lilac hair is perfectly pulled into two twin-buns, though some of her hair still falls around her jaw. Her outfit - a plain gym uniform with purple trimmings - is too small in the worst of places, which isn't helped by her rather curvy body. She holds onto her head, and it's clear I'm the one responsible.

"Oh, god, I'm sorry," I say, throwing my hand out to her desperately, "I didn't see you at all."

She smiles, taking my hand as I hoist her off the ground, "Don't worry about it. You were out cold, there was no way you'd have known I was there," Her cheeks flush a little, "and I might have kicked you earlier, so..."

_So that's what that was._

I glance around the room. Pink wallpaper with a lace pattern covers the walls, stretching all the way down what seems to be a long corridor. Wooden clocks hang just above every doorframe, and a few small paintings of fruit and flowers are hung everywhere. The floor is dark oak, topped with deep red rugs. 

_This can't be Lorem University._

The pictures online were so rustic and homey but the buildings are fairly recent, so there's no reason why it should look like it was pulled straight out of a Victorian dollhouse. 

The girl looks at me, slightly unsure, "Uh, I'm sorry to wake you so suddenly. I have no idea what's going on, and you're the first person I've seen."

"It's okay," I say, "Do you know anything about this place? I'm supposed to be attending Lorem today."

"Me too," She says, a little too optimistic, "I was enrolling today as a Future Ultimate."

Hearing her say that eases me a little. 

_At least we're in the same situation._

"Oh," She says, holding her hand out for me to shake, "I'm Haruka Nico, and if you wanna be formal, call me the Future Ultimate Choreographer." 

_That explains the uniform then._

I shake her hand firmly, like father had always taught me to. "Kihona Hideyoshi, Future Ultimate Psychologist."

"Cute name," Haruka winks, "Sorry. Too far. Anyways, do you know where we are?"

"Well," I frown to myself, "If we're both supposed to be attending Lorem and happened to end up here, then we'd assume it's just that."

She nods, "Yeah. The last thing I remember was falling over outside. I thought I'd just, like, passed out from all the excitement." 

A small leaflet lies on one of the cabinets, and I pick it up to read. It's an advertisement for The Lorem University, showing one of the libraries in the 1-B building. It closely resembles the corridor we're in.

"This might be it," I say, though my voice wavers, "Maybe they redecorated to make it match this library room."

"God, they totally ruined the place," Haruka quips, "Not that it's ugly. Just doesn't match the vibe, y'know?" 

I shrug. _That's the least of your worries right now._

"Look," I point to one of the dark wood doors beside us, "We should find a way out. A good look outside will tell us for sure." 

Haruka nods and follows behind me. We step out into a hallway, similar in style to the previous room. The same double doors as before lie ahead. Gripping the handle, I prepare myself for blue skies and fresh air. The gorgeous red-brick buildings, greenery thriving. I picture birds flying across the skyline and students everywhere, just like before.

_Click._

I swing the door open, and it hits me.

A wasteland. A land so desolate, so isolated, it'd be surprising to see an ant crawl by. The air is cloudy with dust, pieces of sediment littering the dirt. The sun slowly descends into the horizon, emitting the usual warm colours of dusk. 

And nobody in sight.

Haruka covers her mouth in horror, eyes wide. She appears to mutter something between breaths, but I don't hear it. My heart ceases to beat, refusing to take in the sight before me. It can't be. There's no way.

"Oh god," Haruka says, her words muffled by her hands, "What happened here?"

_We have to keep moving._

"Lord knows," I say, "But we should go further."

We walk ahead and a barbed-wire fence comes into view. Beyond that is the ocean, with no other land in sight. 

"That's where I got off the boat," I say. Haruka nods in agreement. 

Edging closer to the fence, we notice an alarming yellow sign, reading;

'WARNING: This fence is electrified at all times and can lead to serious injury or death. Lorem University thanks you for your obedience.'

"That answers our question, I guess," Haruka says, almost lost for words, "But now I have so many more." 

I don't reply and swallow the lump in my throat. What could have possibly happened to Lorem while I was asleep? 

"Hey, uh," A smooth, slightly hoarse voice calls from behind us. We turn around, greeted by a tall man, looking to be around his mid-thirties. He has floppy black hair and thick stubble on his chin. A black waistcoat, decorated with little music note patches covers a forest green turtle neck littered with grease stains. A chain hangs from the pockets of his black jeans. 

"Is something wrong?" Haruka asks, tilting her head. 

He puts his hands in his pockets, shrugging, "Yeah, I was wonderin' if you guys could call me a cab. I had a pretty heavy night last night and I've lost my phone. Just need to get home."

His mention of phones reminds me, and I tap at my shirt pockets desperately. Panic shoots through me as I realise there's nothing there.

"Someone must have taken our phones," I declare suddenly, "Sorry, we don't know how to get out of here. Are you a professor?"

The man bursts into a fit of laughter, clutching his stomach, "I knew this one was comin'. I really haven't aged well, have I?"

Neither I or Haruka says anything.

He sighs, pouting slightly. "Name's Jin Toku, and I'm a Future Ultimate just like you. Future Ultimate Radio Host." 

My jaw drops slightly, but I don't say anything to avoid upsetting him. _He looks at least 15 years older than he actually is._

"Now" Jin begins but takes a moment to belch loudly, "God. Sorry. Now, how the fuck do we get out of here?"

"The other side of the campus is miles away," Haruka says, "It'd take half an hour just to walk there."

"Half the buildings are gone too," I say, holding up the leaflet, "I wonder what happened."

Jin hugs his chest, "Can we go inside, for real? I'm cold."

Haruka scratches her chin in thought, but eventually nods, "Yeah, there might be more people inside if you're here?"

"You woke up here like the rest of us, right?" I say. 

Jin winks at me, smirking slightly, "Shame it wasn't next to you, baby."

I cringe but keep walking. 

The three of us head back into the same building, darting in and out of rooms, trying to find signs of life. In the midst of the panic, it takes a while for me to notice a surveillance camera hanging from the corner of the ceiling. It points straight at me, like it's preparing to shoot an arrow into my chest. It's normal, of course, yet it seems so menacing. 

"Yo," Jin says, sniffing loudly, "If this is Lorem, should we try find the common room? We're supposed to gather there, right?"

"Good point, Jin!" Haruka smiles, putting her hand up for a high-five, but he kisses it instead. Her face wrinkles, "Uh. Yeah. Maybe the people will be there?" 

"Are you not gonna bring up that he just kissed your hand?" I ask, cocking my head. 

"Yeah," Jin smirks, "Don't you find me hot, or...?"

_Nobody does._ I suppose, looking at him, that he would be rather attractive if his appearance was isolated from his grotesque personality. 

Haruka looks slightly awkward, flushing pink, "I don't like any men like that."

Jin widens his eyes but doesn't say a word in defeat. He glances at Haruka, then back at me, going back and forth until a smirk spreads across his face, "Can I watch?"

Haruka and I sigh simultaneously and turn around to explore the building more. After pulling open a few drawers and inspecting a few rooms, mostly just filled to the brim with battered old textbooks, we decide the place has mostly been searched. Though just down the corridor, almost unnoticed, stands another student. I turn to him, and he immediately freezes in terror. His skin is freakishly perfect, a porcelain colour with no blemishes or freckles to be seen. He has smooth, yet thin brown hair, slightly untidy but not unappealing. A pale pink checkered shirt matches his tan trousers with suspenders of the same colour.

Lip quivering, he tries to regain his composure, but fails, "U-um, who are you?" He blinks unnervingly fast, like there's something in his eyes.

Haruka smiles, running up to him, "Hi, we're Future Ultimates! I'm Haruka, this is Kihona and Jin! So happy to meet you!"

Her bubbly attitude only seems to make the boy more terrified, though he tries to look as serious as possible, "The people in the common room are w-waiting. You wouldn't mind attending, right?"

"Of course not," I say, holding my hand out to him, "What's your name?"

I notice him blinking rapidly again as if he's holding back tears, "I'm Mamoru Chusei, and I'm the Future Ultimate Cellist." After a moment of silence, his frail voice cracks again, "Y-You can call me Mamo, everyone does."

"Lovely to meet you, Mamo," I smile, holding out my hand. He stares at it blankly, and then back up into my eyes. He frowns, backing away.

"What were you sayin' about a common room, then?" Jin asks, fiddling with his belt. 

Mamo nods attentively, pointing to a nearby door labelled 'Common Room', "Th-they're gathered in there."

"Who?" Haruka says.

For a moment, Mamo is silent, staring at the floor, but he eventually looks back up at us and says, "The Future Ultimate Students."

"Our classmates," I say under my breath, though they all clearly heard.

"Ooh! I can't wait to meet them," Haruka says, bouncing up and down, "I wonder what they're like. Maybe I'll make a new best friend?" She pauses, before turning to me, "Well, not as much of a best friend as _you_ Kiki!"

I raise an eyebrow, confused. I'd only known this girl shy of half an hour, and she's already labelled me as 'Kiki' and considers me a best friend.   
Mamo grips the door handle, clicking it open with a push. It opens, and we all enter in single file.

Faces. Thirteen more of them.

"Jesus, took you long enough!"

"They were just knocked out, dick."

"So, you're the last of them all? That makes 17, I guess."

"Please, feel free to make yourselves com-"

"You all look like bitches!"

_So then, this is it._

_Classmates, friends, enemies._

_The Future Ultimates._


	3. Prologue - 2: The Future Ultimate Students

Mamo shuffles out from behind me, a meek expression on his face, before scurrying away, his gaze never leaving the floor.

Haruka, Jin and I closely follow. As much as I want to listen to their conversation, the other people in the room grab my attention, clawing at me like a group of wild cats. Each of them has their own unique look, whether they're humongously built or just another shadow. It's like a million centrepieces fighting for the spotlight, and I'm just a clueless spectator.

Haruka's vapid conversation slips my mind, and I can't seem to distinguish her chirpy voice from Jin's rather grotesque belching.

_God, that man could be so much more._

My discomfort is clearly showing, as Haruka seems to instantly catch on.

She gives me a warm smile, "You look a little lost, Kiki, you wanna go talk to someone else?"

I don't say a word, eyes drifting to my shoes. 

Jin smirks, "What's the deal, babe? Aren't you supposed to be a psychologist?"

"Huh?" I croak in confusion, the words not registering in my brain as I say them, "What do you mean?"

"You should be able to read these people, right?" He says, "You can hack their brains."

"That's not really how psychology works," I say with a nervous giggle.

"Don't be shy, though," Haruka grins, "We'll be waiting for you, introductions are important."

I nod and turn to face the pack of my classmates. It's like looking at a wall of neon colours, my eyes don't know where to look first, or what should stick out to me. Everything blends into one. After a while of endless searching, my eyes land on a particular girl towards the front of the group. 

She's cute, petite and slim, with bright pink hair bunched up into a huge ponytail that dominates half her head. Her face is covered with makeup, eyelids painted with a sugary explosion of pink and purple. A plain, purple shirt and a particularly flouncy pink skirt adorned with bows and lace makes up her attire, complete with white cat stockings and an immense pair of white platform boots. Every inch of her is littered with bows and tiny cat hair clips. Her demeanour is sweet and inviting, and she almost seems to be swaying from side to side in a cheerful trance. _She can't be that bad._ I step towards her, and I immediately notice the wrinkling of her nose, the narrowing of her eyes, and the sour puckering of her lips. Perhaps I'd stared at her unusual appearance for too long, or I'd invaded her personal bubble with my existence, but I immediately feel the nerves start to creep up again. 

"Hi," I say, desperately trying to keep my voice from cracking, "New here, I'm-"

"What?" She says, folding her arms, "What are you gawking at?" Her voice is sharp and stern, yet oddly resemblant of a tantruming five-year-old.

"I-I'm not gawking at anything," I say, laughing in the midst of my panic, "I just wanted to introduce myself."

"Hm," She grunts, turning up her nose, "You just want to taunt me. You want to laugh at the way I dress."

Suddenly, she leans in close, and the smell of cotton candy hits me as she grabs the collar of my shirt, "Let me tell you something, I dress way better than any of you normies and you damn well know it! You're just insecure about your own drab ass clothes, so you-"

"Ah, Amai," Another voice calls from behind the girl, whose name I presume is Amai. It's noticeably softer and better articulated, and clearly feminine. Amai lets me go and turns around.

The voice appears to belong to a rather tall, stocky woman, whose height seems out of place considering her gentle appearance. She has long, matted blonde hair that dangles around her knees. Her face is pale and round, dotted with little freckles, and her blue eyes covered with huge round glasses that don't quite rest perfectly on her nose. She wears a pale yellow shirt and a lilac suspender skirt that hangs around her ankles. Her black mary-janes can only just peek through.

"What do you want now?" Amai groans, "Quit following me!"

The other girl smiles, oblivious to the harsh comments just made, "Are you a Future Ultimate too? That's wonderful."

"Well, why else would I be here?" I grin sarcastically, though her bewildered stare suggests she didn't quite get it.

"Maybe you're a janitor then?" She says, tilting her head, "Or a professor?"

"How dense are you?" Amai groans, "Look, if you want introductions, then do it. I don't care."

The other girl smiles, turning to face me fully, "I'm Kuroko Eto, and I'm the Future Ultimate Nail Artist." 

Kuroko's nails had completely slipped my mind, perhaps shrouded by that mass of blonde hair. Despite what I'd think of a nail artist, her nails are rather understated, painted with a simple pink to purple gradient. A small rhinestone compliments her ring fingers, and she doesn't seem too quick to flaunt them.  
I look at Amai. Though I'm already aware of her first name, she seems reluctant to tell me any more. I doubt she even wanted me to know anything.

"Amai Saikawa," She says after a long pause, "Future Ultimate Lolita Model." 

I sigh, "That really wasn't hard, was it?" 

Amai clenches her fists slightly, as if she's prepared to throw a punch. 

Kuroko glances at me, "What's your talent then?"

"I'm a psychologist," I say, not quite sure how the two will react.

Her eyes light up, "Oh, lovely! I've always wanted to learn about space."

Without thinking, I burst out laughing, but one glance at that same bewildered face tells me she's not joking at all.

I straighten my posture, gritting my teeth, "Right. Yeah, me too."

With that, I leave them behind and hope I never have to speak to them again.

_Great start. A drunk man, a stuttering mess, a dumb blonde and a complete bitch._ Haruka is okay, though her tone is a little vapid.

The room swarms me again, and I feel myself drowning in a sea of people. A strange blur of flesh tones surrounds me, and I just pray to find someone tolerable. My pupils dance around the room until they fix on a boy slightly hidden by the other students, staring at the wall opposite him. Thinking. 

His face is a rather pale colour, drained of any kind of life and covered with his messy auburn hair. Those bright green eyes would be rather striking had they not been drenched in heaps of eyeliner, smoked out almost inches below his eyes. He wears a plain grey shirt, almost completely covered by another shirt striped red and black. The rips in his jeans don't look particularly professional, as if he's done them himself. In fact, I doubt any of his clothes aren't customised somehow. I catch myself staring, but before I can divert my attention, his eyes have already met mine.

"Problem?" He asks, his voice monotonous and devoid of expression. My heart drops, as if there's a gaping pit below it, ready to swallow it whole. 

"Uh," I stammer desperately, tripping over my own words like a pebble on the road, "Hey, I wanted to introduce myself, y'know? First year and all." Laughter creeps in between every word, desperately trying to keep myself composed. 

He raises a concerned eyebrow. _Shit._

"Are you okay?" He says, crossing his legs on the chair.

"Yeah, I'm good," I sigh, "Anyways, what's your name? And your talent?"

The boy stares at the floor for a second, as if suddenly pulled into deep thought, before finally saying, "Mitsuharu Tadaka, and I'm the Future Ultimate Electrician." 

My throat is dry of anything to say, my face simply plastered with a phoney smile. He's not the type you'd think to be an electrician. Hell, the studs on his choker could probably electrocute him. 

_Something to say, something to say._

"Hey," I blurt out, "Those computers behind you. They work?"

He turns to face in the direction of my finger, a set of around 10 desktop computers laid out across the table in a linear fashion. Each screen is black, and no cords run from the back. Did they ever work in the first place?

"No," He says, picking at his already chipped black nails, "Tried turning them on, no response at all."

I look at the floor, praying that he'll shoo me away, but he only speaks more.

"You don't think that's suspicious?" He says, glaring at me with those gut-wrenching emerald eyes, "We're surrounded by an electric fence on a remote island, our phones have been taken and there's no power on the computers?"

I guess I hadn't thought much of it. The fence and the lack of buildings had shocked me, leaving me in a state of disbelief, but I had never thought there could be any danger. No threat to our lives. 

My stomach drops, "Uh. Yeah, I guess."

"Well," He says, straightening his back against the chair, "If you have no other input, you can go. Unless you want to stay, not sure why." 

With a nod, I turn away from him.

_He never once asked for my name, it's as if he doesn't care at all._

The thoughts settle into my brain more, the idea that we could properly be trapped. The idea that these are just the dead remains of Lorem after some tragic accident. The idea that we're under threat. 

Before I can descend too deep into imagination, I feel a light tap on my shoulder. It's delicate and rather pathetic, but I turn around anyway. The face I'm greeted by is clearly masculine, though I could easily be swayed by his long, black hair and thick eyelashes. His deep brown skin seems to have its own aura, lighting up the whole room with a golden glow. He wears a simple white tailcoat with black trimming over an electric pink shirt. Though he's short, he still has an immense presence in the room. A strong aroma of cologne fills my nostrils, and I can already feel my head begin to ache from the smell. 

"Forgive me," His glossy golden lips stretch into a smile, flashing his perfectly white teeth, "I had to stop you, dear. That belt you're wearing, a fine article and rather familiar."

His smooth, sensual British accent almost distracts me from the clothes I'm wearing, as I look down to see my belt. A rather thick, sturdy faux snakeskin belt adorned with a large gold buckle, encrusted with some kind of jewel. It had been a present from my father, one of those mindless gifts people get given because their parents don't have the energy to think of something better. But it's not like I'm not thankful, it can't have been the cheapest belt in the world.

"Oh, yeah," I smile back at him, "It's from Rutherford. Just thought I'd wear something fancy for my first day."

"Yes," He nods, raising a concerned eyebrow, "I knew it was Rutherford the moment I saw it. I, of all people, should know."

_Crap. Am I supposed to know something here?_

"I," I utter, lost in my thoughts, "Sorry, I don't follow you."

He smirks, lip curling almost deviously, "Oh, but you should. No, silly joke. But really, do you not recognise me?"

I shake my head, and I can practically see his heart sink.

"What a shame," He pouts, "I happen to be the future CEO of the Rutherford brand, Shiro Rutherford. Though since we're here, I am merely the Future Ultimate Entrepreneur." 

_God, now I remember_. Owning a multi-billion yen brand like Rutherford isn't something to sneeze at. It seems out of place that a man like Shiro would even bother coming to university in the first place. How he's even considered a 'Future' ultimate baffles me. Everything is right at his fingertips, and something tells me he'd rather not be here. He looks at me kindly, tracing a finger along my belt and I shudder. I almost don't want him to stop, his stunning looks pulling me into a trance, but I pull away out of shock.

"Uh, please don't," I say, brushing off my skirt.

Shiro nods, "Oh, sorry dear. I tend to overstep the boundaries when faced with something so beautifully crafted by my late father. It's marvellous, you have amazing taste."

_Late father? What happened to him?_

"Thanks?" My tone makes me cringe as it escapes my lips, "I should probably be-"

A poke. 

I flinch, stopping my words dead in their tracks. Shiro looks at me, concerned, before heading off in another direction. Another poke. On the back of my thigh. I turn around, only to see no one is there. What is it with people touching me today?

"Hey," A little voice calls, dragging out their vowel sounds, "Hey. Hey. Hey."

Looking down, a small girl greets me; likely no older than 12, crouching by my knees. She's far paler than Mitsuharu, almost a ghostly, translucent white. Scraggly blue hair dangles in front of her one grey eye, the other covered by a white cotton eyepatch. Her simple off-white shirt looks to have been around for centuries, under a brown waistcoat of similar condition. She wears tiny little brown shorts stopping just above her boney knees. Like a Victorian orphan boy.

"Hi," I smile at her, "Are you lost? Did you lose your mommy?"

The girl furrows her brow, cupping her hands together as if she's hiding something, "I'm not a 'lil kid."

Her voice catches me off guard. A croaky, hoarse voice that seems to waver at every given point. She seems ready to deliver some cryptic riddle. She stands to full height, but even then she has to be around a foot shorter than me.

"Then," I say, words trailing off, "What're you doing here?"

"Demon stuff," She grins, "What's your name, big scary woman?"

_Big scary woman?_

"I'm Kihona," I hold out my hand for her to shake, but she refuses to uncup her hands, "What about you?"

She looks at the floor, then back up at me, "You will call me Aki Kasaino. I'm the Future Ultimate Paranormal Investigator." 

I'm not quite sure what to make of her. The fact she's as old as us baffles me, she likely hasn't grown since she was 10.

"Hey, hey," Aki looks at me dead on, "You wanna see what's in my hand?"

"Sure," I shrug, "Can't be that bad."

Slowly uncupping her hands, she reveals a chunky snail scooting around her palm, "This is Cthulhu. He likes lettuce and me. He's a great listener."

I watch as it scuffles along her palm. It seems fairly content, but looking at the slimy trail it forms on Aki's hand makes me grimace.

"Now," Aki looks at me, thrusting the snail further into my face, "Kiss him."

"I..." I grit my teeth, preparing to back away, "Sorry, I have to go."

"Kiss him!" She yells, and I quickly dart in the other direction.

I try to get to the other side of the room, but a sharp smack in the face stops me dead. A dizziness falls over me, and I barely notice I've knocked a rather weedy looking boy straight over.

He lies sprawled across the floor, clearly trying to regain his senses. A large pair of black, thick-rimmed glasses likely used to be worn on his head, though they're now strewn across the floor along with him. A blue bandanna is tied around his hair- clearly brown from the greasy little tufts that peek out- and a hoodie of the same colour. A pair of denim blue jeans matches his hoodie, and he wears bright green sneakers.

Growling, he hops to his feet, "Dick. You could've knocked me over!"

"I-I'm sorry," I cry, waving my arms around frantically, "I didn't mean to hurt you? Are you okay? What's your name?"

He scoffs, "Like I'd tell you. Go back to the streets, whore."

The words hit me like a tonne of bricks, and I clench my fists, trying to ease my anger, "I'll tell you mine. It's not that deep, dude, didn't ask for your credit card."

The boy grumbles, pulling his bandanna down as if to hide himself, "I'm Minato Kobayashi, Future Ultimate Game Developer. Now you." 

"Kihona Hideyoshi," I say, eyeing him. He picks his glasses up and slips them back on, the lenses littered with smudges and grease marks. I try to focus on an aspect other than his face, looking down to his hoodie. Ignoring the sweat patches, the logo printed on the middle of the hoodie instantly catches my eye.

"Oh, hey," I say, pointing to his jacket, "Blueknight. That's the band, right?"

His eyes light up curiously, "You like their music too? Name every song they've ever released."

"Uh, I," I awkwardly look to the side, desperately trying to avoid his interrogating stare, "I just remember the one hit they had. 'The Death of Mars', right? Got pretty popular."

His eyes narrow as he starts to gnaw on a hangnail, "Typical. You only know their worst, most mainstream song. I can't stand people like you."

"Y-you don't have to be so rude," I sigh, knowing I'm tripping over my words, "The song is good, though, I'm up to hear some more of their stuff if you'd want to show me."

Minato shakes his head, "No way. I won't be responsible for tainting the fan-base with your chart-hit nonsense. Go away."

_Jeez._

I glare at him one last time before turning away from him, resignation clinging to my tongue.


	4. Prologue - 3: The Future Ultimate Ultimate Students (2)

All the information I've had to retain over the past hour still swims around in my brain like a whirlpool of sentences. Each person, each area, each incomprehensible fact. Being knocked out one minute, and in a room full of people I've never met the next. I think about how I'd rather be in bed, or at home with my dogs. Now more than ever, I want to whip out my phone and spam text my mom with cries for help. 

But I can't give up now. My whole life is in the hands of Lorem University.

"God, look at the pair on her," A harsh, male voice catches my ear, and I tune out all my nagging thoughts to listen closer.

"Uh, yeah," Another male voice says, slightly higher pitched with much more inflection than the first, "Totally. Boobs are awesome."

I spin around to see two men sitting on one of the grey sofas set up around the common room. One of them is hugely tall, easily the tallest in the room, with a burly figure and well-formed face. His hair is a gentle fade from the deepest of blacks to a striking bleach blonde, only just falling into his dull, blue eyes. A huge scar runs from his eye down to his jaw. He wears a tattered black coat over top of a red varsity jacket. Every inch of his attire seems to be rugged or unkempt in some way, apart from his bright white trainers that can't have been cheap. 

The other boy is much smaller and shockingly skinny. His tanned skin is dirty, eye bags dark under his red colour contacts. His white hair is held up by a grey hairband, matching the colour of his tracksuit and trainers. Strangely, his arms seem to be wrapped in bandages, and a used cigarette sticks out of his pocket.

"Bet she's a bitch, though," The taller grins, smirking in a smug way that sends me raging, "Scrap that, I _know_ she's a bitch."

The comments seem to be directed at another girl sitting on a stool within their view, perhaps listening in to the crude remarks made about her, but I divert my attention from her to focus on the two men.

"It's funny, though," The taller continues, "They can't just walk around showin' off their rack and get mad when we wanna look. Like, the fuck?"

The smaller nods after every sentence, paying as close attention as he can.

I clench my fists, grinding my teeth against my tongue to hold back a fit of anger, and head towards them.

"Hey," I say, surprised at my own assertiveness, "Who do you think you are? That's demeaning, you shouldn't talk to her like that."

The taller looks at me, smirking in that same way. Looks like that'll be common for him.

"Oh," He grins, "Look at that pancake tellin' me what to do."

The smaller boy then laughs hysterically.

I look down at my chest. He's not wrong, I haven't always been particularly rich in the chest area. But it's never been something I'm insecure about, at least not until now.

"I'm not just my body, asshole," I frown, placing a hand on my hip.

"Dishwasher," The small boy snickers, the taller swatting him in the arm to keep him quiet. 

I groan, "Guessing you two are my classmates, huh?" 

The taller boy grins again, "Look, I don't take orders from no one. Including you, 'lil miss pancake."

Trying to maintain my composure, I feel my seething anger almost hit its boiling point. Why should I take insults from either of them? They probably don't have more than one brain cell between them. Yet they get to me all the same, crawling up through my skin and punching my heart.

Suddenly, the taller man holds his hand out to me, his expression never once changing, "Heh, how rude of me. I'm Kaso Sukeo, Future Ultimate Basketball Prodigy."

_You think that's rude of all things?_

I don't take his hand, rather staring back into his eyes. Quite captivating eyes, a gentle colour that could lure me into a false sense of security and snap my ankles moments later. 

His smaller friend scuffles up to the side of him, "Daiki Ugoku, here. Future Ultimate Sprinter."

"Not gonna shake?" Kaso pouts, though his sadness is clearly not genuine, "Shame, wanna know how good you'd be at a handjob."

I shake my head, "Of course not! I've never even tried it, just leave me alone while we're here, okay?"

He smirks again, his eyes gleaming with delight, "Look forward to gettin' to know you, Kihona. I think we'll get along great."

Hearing those last words sends a wave of shock down me and I shudder. Something about his harsh, yet sensual tone is so luring, sucking me in like a vacuum. But I have to break away, I can't fall under whatever sick spell he's trying to cast.

I turn to the girl they'd been taunting before, watching as she stares blankly at her lap. Avoiding their words, avoiding the rest of the students. Avoiding the world. Her pale face seems to be layered with makeup that must have taken hours. Dark brown hair cascades down her shoulders like a river of melted chocolate, stopping just short of her thighs. She wears a rather tight double-breasted blazer overtop of a honey-coloured vest, a plain white dress shirt underneath. Her skirt is alarmingly short, and she wears fishnets and a tight leather garter up her thigh along with knee-high black boots. Her deep brown eyes turn to me, endearing and rather friendly, but the furrowing of her brow suggests she's less than keen to talk to me.

"What do you want?" The girl glares at me, eyeing me up and down as if she's judging my attire.

I try my best to smile, holding my hand out to shake, "Hi, Kihona here. Sorry about those complete dicks over there, what's your na-"

"Why does it matter?" She puckers her lips, coated in a silky beige lipstick, "You don't need to get involved."

"I..." I begin, but I feel my words trailing off as her stare only intensifies. 

"Are you looking for my name? Money? My body? I don't have all day,"

It doesn't look like she's doing anything in particular, but I persist, "I wanna get to know you, if possible."

She rolls her eyes, pausing for a brief moment before continuing, "I'm Ayana Sato."

"What about your Future Ultimate?" I grin, tilting my head.

"You'll get mad," She sighs.

"Since when?"

"I know that face."

"I really won't judge," I smile, "I'm only a psychologist, I'm sure you don't-"

"Future Ultimate Escort."

I stand, completely silenced by her words. Her glare finally breaks, as she glances at the floor and then back at her lap. 

"You," I utter, "Y-you drive limos? That's fun."

"No," She says curtly, brushing through her hair with her sharp nails, "I fuck people and they give me a paycheck. Why, you're interested?"

"No way!" I yell suddenly, immediately covering my mouth with my hand, "Oh god, sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

She raises an eyebrow, an eyebrow so perfectly sculpted through her makeup, "Do you have a problem with my talent? Is it gonna ruin my life?"

I keep quiet, looking at my shoes.

"You want me to quit?" She says, her voice smooth like velvety ice cream- such a harsh contrast against the bitterness of her words, "Sure then, Ki. I'll call my pimp and tell him it's off."

"But I just-"

"Go away. Talk to someone with fewer notches on their bedpost."

I reluctantly oblige, scuffling away like some crappy wind-up toy.

The idea of meeting Future Ultimates like me had excited me. The idea of bonding, sharing interests and skills, helping with essays, it had all once been so appealing. And yet everyone seems to be either deranged or a complete jerk.

"Hey there," A small, almost hoarse voice calls to me, and I look up. 

A small, scrawny boy greets me. He's strikingly skinny, not quite so much as Aki, but still enough to look less than healthy. There's something almost fragile about him, like he might break if I touch him. But even with that, his face is cheery and full of life, with dark blonde hair swooped out of his eyes. He wears a beige dress shirt under a brown waistcoat, with a tan coat overtop of it. A brown jacket hangs around his shoulders, the arms dangling loosely behind him. A pair of baggy shorts match the colour of his coat, with large wool socks and rubber wellingtons. He carries a green leather satchel on his shoulder, with a small teddy bear keyring attached.

He holds a hand out to me, despite being far smaller than I am, "Is everything okay? You look a bit down, you need cheering up?"

"No," I shake my head, laughing, "I'm fine. Everyone here is just tiring."

The boy sighs, "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, I'd make you some tea, but I don't know where there's a stove."

"It's okay, don't worry about it," I say with a small smile, and I notice him smiling back. 

"You're name's Kihona, right?" He says, eyes wide with curiosity, "I like that name."

"Oh, uh, yeah," I nod, "How did you know?" 

"Heard you talking to Ayana," He blushes, turning away from me and his grip firm on his satchel, "I'm, Kohi, by the way. Kohi Sasaki, the Future Ultimate Tea Brewer."

"Nice to meet you," I say, rubbing the back of my neck and wincing. Pain shoots through me.

"I-is something wrong?" He says, his smile now tainted with a concerned frown, "Do you need some pills?"

I shake my head, "No, it's good. My neck just kinda hurts."

"I'm sorry," He looks at the floor, "Mine too, actually, so you're not alone there, I guess."

I shrug, "Suppose so. It was lovely to meet you, though."

Kohi nods attentively, the smile returning to his face, "Yes, you too."

Turning away from him, I feel a fresh wave of comfort crash over me. It's nice to finally meet someone tolerable.

Before I can dwell any longer on Kohi, two girls catch my attention. They're both standing near the window, talking about whatever springs to mind.

One of them is a tall, stocky woman with deep brown skin and even darker hair, pulled into two high pigtails with bright pink scrunchies. She wears a navy blue sailor dress with a petticoat underneath, rather endearing until I take one glance at her belt. An electric pink, faux leather belt adorned with golden bullets I pray are fake. Her arms are covered by colourful fishnets, while her black combat boots stop just above her ankles. The girl next to her, though not exactly plain in her appearance, seems much more understated. She's curvy, with a striped shirt pulled down so far her cleavage almost spills out of her bra. Overtop, she wears a sleeveless pink leather jacket, studded on the shoulders, and plaid pink jeans. Her hair is a split dye of pink and purple with slight black streaks, and she wears purple makeup that can't have been a quick job

"Yo," The stocky woman catches me staring, and waves to me, "Somethin' up? What's wrong with you?"

"Calm down, Yash," The pink-haired girl smirks, leaning against the wall, "I'm sure she didn't mean anything."

She turns to me, speaking in a vaguely American accent - perhaps somewhere southern, "Hey, come over here. We wanna talk."

I nod and shuffle on up to the two. 

The stocky woman smiles at me, "Sorry. Thought you were judgin' me or something. Can't be too careful these days, yanno?"

"Hm," I nod, not quite sure how to respond.

"I'm Charlotte Birkin," The pink-haired girl says, "Future Ultimate Blogger."

I knew her face was familiar. Charlotte's YouTube channel is only small, yet she's had her fair share of hit videos. Perhaps the odd makeup or gaming video that gained traction, though she seems more known for the content rather than the personality.

The other girl clears her throat, "Hey, I'm Yashira Kurosawa."

I'm left in silence for a brief moment, before I finally respond, "Your talent?"

Yashira shifts uncomfortably, playing with her hair, "Uh, do I have to? I'm not a fan, ya dig?"

"Oh, don't be silly," Charlotte giggles, "It's cute."

Yashira sighs, "Fine, I'm the Future Ultimate Flautist."

"A flautist can't be that bad," I say, holding my hands behind my back, "You must be good at it."

Yashira shrugs, "Meh, too flowery for me. Just because I look like a good girl don't mean I have a good heart."

"Ooh, cringe," Charlotte laughs, "So what would you rather be?"

Yashira taps her chin in thought, "A fashion designer could be cool. But one of those ones that rips their stockings and staples shit together. Looks fuckin' cool."

"That could be fun," I say, wanting to step away. 

"Actually," Yashira continues, clenching her fists passionately, "Fuck it. I wanna do guns. Shootin' the fuck outa dummies filled with hay? Settin' off bombs and shit? Hell yeah."

_That explains the belt then._

Charlotte seems to notice the terrified expression on my face, "Ah, don't worry about it. This one's all talk but no action, she won't lay a finger on you."

I nod rather obediently, preferring to keep my mouth shut so one of Yashira's bullets doesn't end up in my chest. 

As we continue to talk, I feel another sharp tap on my shoulder. _People really seem to like my shoulder today._

I turn to be greeted by an almost androgynous-looking person, with a sharp jaw and soft blue eyes. Their black hair is pulled into a tight bun on their head, and they wear thin, square glasses. They wear a simple grey suit and black dress shoes.

"Forgive me," They say, their voice alarmingly feminine with a soft British accent, "I don't believe I've spoken to you yet."

_Crap, what do I call them?_

"Yeah," I stumble over my words, "Uh, do you mind me asking your pronouns? No, god sorry, that came out wrong, I-"

They cut me off with a delicate chuckle "Don't be sorry, it's only natural you'd be confused. I am a woman, and comfortably so. I dress this way for personal reasons." 

"Oh, you are?" I ask. _So blunt and to the point, she's almost remarkable,_ "That's fine, sorry. What's your name?"

The woman smiles at me, pushing her glasses up her nose, "I'm Tory Aina, the Future Ultimate Criminal Lawyer. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, Tory," I say, shaking her hand firmly, "I'm Kihona."

Tory stares at me for a moment, thinking. She furrows her brow.

"What's wrong?" I say, "Is everything okay?"

She snaps out of her daze and turns to me, "Hm? Oh, I was just thinking. This is all so peculiar."

I nod in agreement but offer no response.

"I believe something is amiss," She declares, "Something isn't-"

"Alright, motherfuckers!" A loud, whiny voice screeches over the loudspeaker system, ringing through my ears. A few students wince at the sound, muttering amongst themselves.

"Testin', testin', 1, 2, oh, sod it! Gimmie a sec and I'll come out and say it myself since this thing won't bloody cooperate!"

As if things couldn't get more confusing, the voice then becomes a sight. 

A blur of black and white flying through the air, before landing gracefully on the floor. 

An animal? A robot?

A bear.


	5. Prologue - 4: Black, White and Red

What appears before me leaves my brain bewildered as I try to comprehend the sight. A half-black, half-white bear, stands on one of the common room chairs. He doesn't look much taller than 4ft, but his presence looms over the room, a red twinkle from a robotic eye-piercing my chest and burrowing deep in my very being.

A murmur rises around the room.

"What the hell is that?" Yashira spits, stepping towards the bear. 

"It looks like a mascot of some sort..." Kohi's small voice pipes up, barely audible over the others. 

"I'm not a bloody mascot!" It says suddenly with a shrill voice as more confusion ensues, "I'm the University Principal." 

"What the fuck?" Kaso says, his voice faltering, "You're a fuckin' teddy."

The bear spins gracefully towards him, leaning inches away from his face. Its sharp teeth gleam in the light, "I'm not a freakin' teddy either. Gosh, the youth these days." 

"Then what are you?" Charlotte says, hand on hip.

It climbs up onto one of the desks, knocking over the computers to make room, "Ahem. Allow me to introduce myself! I am a single male looking for hot MILFs in my area. I also happen to be the principal of Lorem University, Monokuma."

The name makes no sense, just like his words.

Ayana raises an eyebrow, "How are you a man if you don't have a-"

"Enough of that promiscuity, young lady!" Monokuma roars, causing Mamo to jump in fright, "I'll 'ave your head off if ya keep talkin'."

Mitsuharu steps towards the front of the group, looking up at the bear as his eyes narrow, "If you're quite done dancing around the topic, how about you tell us what we're doing here?"

Monokuma grins, taking a bow, "Of course, dah-ling. I'm sure you're all aware you're supposed to be attending this elite institution as Future Ultimates."

We all nod, and the bear continues.

"Well, as lovely as it would be to actually...yanno...do that whole thing, I've decided to mix things up a little this year."

"Tell us." Minato says, gritting his teeth, infuriated, "I want my dorm key, and I'm hungry."

Tory nods, "Yes, and I'm curious about the electrified fence that's blocking our exit."

"And what the hell is all this security stuff?" Daiki yells, "It's giving me the creeps."

Questions are thrown at the bear, all of varying levels of harshness. I keep quiet, fixated on the floor, as Haruka and Jin try to talk amongst themselves.

"Shut the fuck up, ya little asswipes!" Monokuma finally screams, silencing the whole room in an instant. "Your questions will all be answered in precisely...now. I've decided to do a 'lil TLC to this craptastic campus, so now there're only a few buildings that we need. Doesn't that just make things so much more efficient?"

"It makes things so much more unpleasant," Shiro sighs, almost saddened by the fact.

"I feel like now's the time to do the grand reveal," Monokuma smirks, flashing a toothy grin, "That electric fence has a very, very special purpose. Drum roll please..."

Silence falls over the room, apart from Aki who starts to pat her knees. 

"Well, suit yerselves, kids. You can't leave. Ever!"

Chaos erupts around the room. Panicked conversations between friends, some who don't believe a word, and others who are still just as bewildered as before. 

"You can't be serious!" Jin says, biting his nails vigorously.

"I'm bloody well serious, fella." The bear says, "Sorry, I don't make the rules. Except, I do...this is gonna bother me."

"But what about our families? Our friends?" Haruka cries, "They'll come searching for us, they'll be worried sick."

"Do ya really think so?" Monokuma cocks his head, "Aw, that's so damn sweet. I suppose I can let ya out on one condition."

"Then tell us," Mamo says, trying to maintain his cool composure.

"Murder! Good, old fashioned, bloody murder."

The room erupts into chaos. No words are discernible from the heap of sounds coming from 16 mouths at once. Nerves burn in my gut. There's no way he's being serious.

"Demon. Demon." Aki wails, shaking her head. "Get out. You're making my brain funny."

"Oh...my..." Kuroko says, her voice trailing off. I wouldn't be surprised to see her throw up, but I can't blame her.

Anger welling inside me, I have no choice but to speak up, "You're joking, right? You don't expect us to actually kill?"

Monokuma turns to me, mischief spreading across his face, "You can say that all you want, but imagine the pain of not seeing your poor little family, all cooped up inside a tiny campus with the constant fear of being bumped off. Then you'll wanna get out."

"This isn't happening," Charlotte clenches her fists. 

Yashira pushes her aside, "Damn right it isn't! I'm gonna fuck you up, teddy."

"That's not gonna end too well for you, sunshine." Monokuma says, "Oh, I forgot to mention."

From behind the chair, Monokuma retrieves a small pile of phone-like devices and throws them to the floor. All have little names engraved on the back.

"These are your specially crafted and personalised Student Handbooks. They serve as your room key, locker room key and identification throughout your time at Lorem. There's also a handy dandy sleep tracker app that can log yer sleepin' patterns for a healthy lifestyle and even a groovy little chat log."

_Did he just say 'groovy'?_

The bear lowers his voice to a whisper, "The tracker means you can also know whether or not someone is sleepin' so you can bump em off in their dreams. But I'll leave that up to y'all. All the other students are logged in your messaging app, so you can talk to ya mates whenever you feel like it." He concludes, taking a rather gracious bow as we all scramble to pick ours up. I'm hesitant to take it out of fear, but decide it's best to obey the bear.

With a click of a button, I'm met with a full report card of myself. It lists all of the expected things, name, talent, height, but it all seems so uncomfortable given the situation.  
"If ya take a look at the time, you might find a little easter egg." The bear says. His voice drills into my ears more and more each time he speaks.

October 4th, 2023.

"What?" Jin almost shrieks, "We were asleep for three fucking years?" 

"That's not possible, dumbass," Ayana says, in a surprisingly smooth voice, "He must have just messed with the time settings."

"I hate this place." Amai stomps her foot, throwing her handbook to the ground.

One thing builds on top of another. The strangest sequence of events anyone could face. We're trapped, at risk of murder, and years older than we're meant to be. Did I miss my 20th birthday? 

"Pinkie promise, I didn't mess with shit." Monokuma nods, "Ya want proof? The earliest time you can set ya date to is 2023. Bears don't lie."

As the crowd becomes silent, he picks up Amai's handbook and turns it on,"Please refer to the rules tab for further deets. But I'd best be going now. If ya get lost, there's a handy-dandy map to see ya through. Buh-bye bitches, and 'ave a killer term."

"Hey, wait!" I yell, but within seconds, the bear disappears from sight.

Minutes pass, and no one says a word. Just exchanging terrified glances. 

"So this is it, then?" Minato says, stuttering, "We're just cooped up here like chickens?"

"I don't trust any of you here..." Aki grumbles, turning away, "Big scary people."

"None of us actually believe him, right?" Haruka smiles as best as she can, though the fear in her eyes is clear, "We can all be friends here. And we can find a way out together."

"Fuck that," Kaso murmurs, and all eyes land on him. He frowns, scanning the group, "Don't get in my fuckin' way, or I'll be sure to take advantage of this murder rule. Especially you."

He shoots an icy glare at Ayana, who rolls her eyes. 

"Kaso, try and be reasonable," Tory steps towards him, "For your sake, we need to all try and cooperate. If you listen to the bear, you're doing exactly what he wants."

He pauses for a second, before smirking slightly, "If for some reason you need me, don't come and find me."

With that, he leaves the room, and Daiki desperately tries to follow along.

The air feels heavy, weighing down my emotions like a tonne of bricks. From strangers to classmates, to potential criminals, trust feels scarce. 

Any one of these people could kill me right now, and there'd be no repercussions. 

Tory and Mitsuharu stand in front of us all, reassuring a few students. 

"Ignore the bear," Tory says, sliding her glasses up her nose, "It's rather late now, we should all try and find the dorms and rest for a while." 

"Since when were you our leader?" Minato says, screwing up his face, "You can't tell me what to do."

She stammers slightly, his words startling her, "W-well...I...my best interest is protecting everyone. If we're looking to find an escape, please could we all meet in the cafeteria for breakfast, and Mitsuharu and I will try to guide you from there." 

Yashira raises an eyebrow, "And what if we don't turn up?"

"You'll be seen as suspicious," Mitsuharu glares at her. She doesn't respond.

"If anyone passes by Kaso and Daiki, please inform them," Tory says, preparing to leave, "Ayana, you seem to know Kaso best, so please drop by and tell him."

Ayana furrows her brow and stomps out with a sense of urgency.

"She didn't seem to like that," I say to Tory, laughing a little. She smiles weakly, but says nothing, her eyes almost empty under the blaring, artificial light. 

Minato glares at the two and promptly leaves, stomping away like a moody child. A moment later, Amai leaves after, followed by Mamo and a few of the others, none of them even so much as glancing at one another.

_Just like that, all our trust is gone._

As a sudden wave of exhaustion crashes over me, I feel it's best to try and find the dorm rooms. I click the power button of my Student Handbook, and try to find some kind of map until I spot a section labelled 'Rules'. When I open it, a lengthy essay of school policies appears on the screen, some of them more strange than others.

_Welcome to the Lorem University for the Gifted's Official Killing Game! We do hope you enjoy your stay._   
_As an esteemed institution, we have many rules that we hope you can obey throughout your stay. The rules are listed below:_

_1\. You may not leave the university campus under any circumstances unless graduating._

_2\. The only way you can graduate is by killing another student and not be discovered by your peers._

_3\. Bed-Time hours are from between 11 PM and 7 AM. During these hours, certain areas will be blocked off unless you have an appropriate key card._

_4\. If at least three people discover a body, not including the perpetrator, a subsequent Body Discovery Announcement will play. You will have a set time of three hours to gather evidence and testimonies before you will be forced to attend a class trial. More will be revealed about trials when appropriate._

_5\. If for some reason, you are locked out of your room, Principal Monokuma can provide a single-use, all-purpose key. Sleeping anywhere besides dorms is not permitted._

_6\. One student may only commit two murders at once._

_7\. If in the event that there is more than one killer to a trial, only the killer of the first discovered victim will be punished._

_8\. Alcohol is not permitted in dorms or lecture halls._

_9\. Principal Monokuma must not be harmed in any way, and violent or threatening behaviour towards him will be punished._

_10\. Principal Monokuma has full right to add, adjust or remove rules as and when he feels appropriate._

Every time I scroll, more confusion floods my brain. _What trial? Body discovery? This has to be a sick prank._

The plentiful surveillance cameras suggest this could possibly be a prank, but it all feels so real. Monokuma's upbeat, yet sadistic tone, the destroyed landscape of Lorem, the handbooks. It's all way too high effort to be a prank.

I shake my head, leaving the room with brisk, urgent steps. Glancing back and forth at my map, trying to navigate the maze of hallways, I make my way to the dorms.

A long corridor stretches out ahead of me, covered in the same pink wallpaper and dark flooring. Each wall is lined with doors of a similar colour to the floor, all with their own little iron plaques on them, with each of our names engraved in a delicate script. I walk until I eventually find my own dorm, hesitating before I press my handbook against the lock. 

_Beep._

_Click._

The door opens with ease. _Good to know that works._

Inside, I'm greeted by a large room, with dusty green walls and light wooden flooring. One large window allows for a relatively good view onto the campus, one that might even be beautiful if it weren't for the complete destruction around me. On one side of the room is a large, four-poster bed with light green bedding and an immense amount of white cushions. There's a few other facilities, including a white dresser and a large, regal mirror flawlessly painted gold. Across from the bed is a large fireplace, topped with numerous statues, candles and paintings. A small desk is tucked away in one corner, stacked high with books, and numerous bookshelves line the walls. It feels like home. But yet so far away.

Another door leads into a small en-suite bathroom, equipped with a simple toilet, sink and shower. The cupboards are stacked full of beauty products, skincare, all the basics I could possibly need. 

The chest of drawers opposite my bed contain a university branded hoodie, a pair of leggings, and branded pyjamas for different seasons. 

_Still too well equipped to be a prank._

Carrying out my nightly routine in a place like this feels like preparation for death. Nothing is quite right, the brandless skincare, the clothes. Everything. But before I know it, I'm sinking into the plush, warm bed, surrounded by cushions as soft as clouds.

Though the radiator purrs gently in the background, the room feels so cold. It's like the air around me has frozen, sending chills all over my body. 

I stare blankly at the ceiling, every second of the day replaying in my head. Over, and over, and over, until hours have passed. Darkness falls over the room, but I still don't fall asleep. 

_To kill, or not to kill?_

_My life could end tonight. Someone else's could end tonight._

Each dangerous thought clouds my head, as my eyelids start to get heavy. Falling asleep in this mindset isn't safe, but lord knows how late it may be. 

Slowly, I feel myself drifting off into a deep slumber.


	6. Prologue - 5: Searching for Justice

Morning creeps into my dorm room, sunlight just appearing over the horizon. The light manages to sneak in through a crack in the curtains, and I slowly open my eyes.  
Somehow, my sheets have made their way to the floor and one of my pillows is halfway across the room. Touching the back of my head, all I feel is sweat.

The loudspeaker screeches and Monokuma's voice begins to chime throughout the building, "Bing-bong, motherfuckers! Rise and shine, time to get up and face the bloody day! 'Ave fun!"

_So that's the morning announcement._

With a dissatisfied groan, I roll out of bed and head for the shower. 

The water runs cold and, no matter how long I wait, warmth never touches my skin. I sigh and stand under the spray, flinching every time the iciness hits me. Such a lack of comfort feels so distant from home. For once, I crave the sound of my dogs barking, or Eiji knocking violently on the door. But there's nothing. Not even the trickling of water can put me at ease. 

I put the bottles of lotion back on the rack and turn the shower off, tip-toeing to grab a towel and get dressed. My clothes from yesterday are strewn across the desk chair, with no traces of body odour on them, so I slip them on. Anything to avoid wearing the clothes provided. They didn't seem like bad quality. Just not right. Glancing at the time, I realise Tory is probably waiting, so I brush through my hair and tie it up, as usual, leaving for the canteen.

"Hey, Kiki!" I don't even have to look to know who it is.

"Good morning, Haruka," I nod, but I can't seem to crack a smile. She grins, eyes twinkling. Somehow, she's found the time to do her signature space buns and looks as perky as ever.

"How'dya sleep? My room is _super_ comfy. Like sleeping on a marshmallow." Haruka grins.

I laugh slightly but decide it's best to zone out from her conversation.

"It's weird, though," She sighs, rubbing her arm, "Everything seems so nice...until you realise," Her eyes meet mine, "You don't really think someone will kill, right?"

"No," I say, but I know I'm lying, "We can get out together, that's why Tory organised a search." 

Though the threat of murder seems like a constant looming presence. Kaso's words from yesterday play over in my head thousands of times, he could kill someone without hesitation. And then there's Yashira, who would probably get a rush from shooting someone in the chest. And Aki. Lord knows what to do with that girl.

I shake my head, as if to scare away the intrusive thoughts, "Well. We're going to try our best to stick together."

Haruka smiles, balling her hands into fists, "We can do this, team!"

The rest of the walk to the canteen is silent, but we arrive within a short amount of time. A surprising number of people have shown up. 

"Ah, good morning Kihona, Haruka," Tory appears in front of us. She holds a cup of coffee in her hands, "I'm glad you decided to show up. So far we're waiting on a few others." 

"Who?" I ask, curious. 

Tory takes a moment to scan the room before answering, "Looks like Kaso and Jin have yet to attend. I'm worried as to whether Kaso will even bother at all." 

I sigh, and we stay silent for a while. 

Kohi approaches, slightly shy. He holds a small notepad and pen, "Uh, hey. I'm taking breakfast orders if you want any?"

Tory chuckles softly, "You really are taking this rather seriously." 

He flushes bright red.

"Some tea and a bowl of fruit will do me fine," I groan. _Today is already a drag._

"Ooh!" Haruka's eyes light up, "Could I have pancakes? With blueberries? Yeah, and a cup of tea. And would it kill you to heat up some syrup?" 

Kohi's eyes dart back and forth, scrawling everything down as quickly as he can, before scurrying into the kitchen. We take a table close to the middle of the canteen, eating our chosen food.

Jin eventually stumbles in, fumbling with his belt and pulling up his fly, "Shit. Sorry I'm late. Was, uh, showering."

"Likely story," Amai turns up her nose, "You stink like a dog's asshole."

"What does that smell like?" Kuroko asks through a mouthful of bread roll, "I've never been close enough."

"Were you having sex with Kaso?" Daiki snickers, "You're pulling your pants up."

"Hell no, dude!" Jin almost shrieks, "That's gay."

Shiro sighs happily, "Star crossed lovers! Like Romeo and Juliet." 

"Just because they both weren't around doesn't mean they're having sex, dick!" Minato grits his teeth, spitting out bits of pastry everywhere. 

Ayana smirks, "Guys, he was obviously masturba-"

"Enough with that!" Jin yells, plonking himself next to Haruka, "It's none of your business what I do to myself."

"Yep," Yashira says, not turning away from her meal, "Defo masturbating." 

Charlotte giggles, but doesn't say anything.

Chatter rises around the room until Kaso walks in, silencing everyone. He looks around, raising an eyebrow, "What?"

"We're looking at you," Kuroko says, "I think."

"Yes," Mamo nods, sipping some chamomile tea, "You were rather threatening yesterday. We have a right to be afraid of you."

"Heh," His lip curls, "Oh yeah, that."

He takes a seat with Daiki, resting his legs on the table. 

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Ayana frowns at him. He doesn't respond. 

As we finish eating, Tory and Mitsuharu take their places at the front of the canteen.

"We're grateful that everyone managed to make an appearance today. That's certainly the first step towards good teamwork." Tory says, bowing. 

"We're going to perform a full search of the campus to find an escape." Mitsuharu adds, his expression unchanged, "You will be assigned a group of four, and an area to search. Report back here and state your findings." 

"Why?" Charlotte asks, "I don't like you two leading us. Can't we just do whatever the hell we want?"

"I appreciate your input," Tory sighs, "But please just cooperate, for now. This situation is not to be taken lightly." 

Charlotte doesn't respond but keeps the foul look on her face. 

"Mitsuharu and I will pair up together," Tory continues, "And we would like to take Kaso, to keep an eye on him, and Mamo."

Kaso raises an eyebrow, "You expect me to go with the fuckin' nerds? Count me out!"

"Yeah," Daiki says, standing up, "I wanna go with Kaso."

"We want to keep an eye on him," Mitsuharu says curtly, "Be quiet or I'll put you with Jin."

Daiki immediately shuts up. 

The two began to assign groups one by one. Though at first, I'm nervous they'll put with someone unbearable like Aki or Minato, luck seems to be on my side and I'm grouped with Haruka, Jin and Shiro. 

"Hey, cool," Haruka squeals, "The gang's back together." 

"Plus me," Shiro scoffs, "You know I'm here, right?"

As Tory assigns each group one by one, people begin to huddle, a chatter rising.

"Please split off into as many directions as possi-"

"Alright, loves!" Monokuma appears from nowhere, "What's poppin'? Heard some juicy gossip from my room, so I thought I'd try and snag the deets."

"Since when were you still here?" Minato frowns.

"He's _always_ been here," Aki says, dragging out her 'a' sounds, "He lurks under your bed and comes out at night to gobble you up." Her snail sits contentedly on her head. 

"To put it simply, yeah," Monokuma says, "I'm just tucked away in my little man cave, watching you like a hawk. Anyways, not the point. I heard you're plannin' an investigation."

"That's right," Shiro says, "I think it will be a wonderful opportunity to find the best places for a photo shoot."

"Priorities, priorities!" Monokuma says, tutting, "Anywho, I just thought you'd like to know there's a bus that can take you across campus, free of charge! Saves yer little legs from dropping off."

"A bus?" Mitsuharu says, curious, "Who will drive it?" 

"Someone very special!" The bear says, his voice twisting, "I'd love to dwell on it, but I'm missin' my programme. Toodles!" 

Before any of us can say any more, the bear is gone in an instant 

"What the fuck was all that about?" Yashira says.

"Oh," Kohi says in a small voice, "I thought I remembered seeing a bus stop late last night. Didn't know it was in use, I'm sorry."

"Doesn't matter," Mitsuharu says, "Good luck to you all."

And with that, each group heads in their own direction. 

I turn to my group, shrugging, "Where first?"

Shiro seems dumbfounded, "I'll let you three take the lead, I am rather tired."

"Bruh, this isn't just about you," Jin sighs, "You need to help out."

"How about we all try and cooperate here?" I say, folding my arms, "If we work together, we can find a way out. There has to be some kind of weak spot."

"Ki's right," Haruka says, "How about we check out around the campus first?"

"You mean where the fence was?" Jin says, "Cool. Won't find much, but chill."

With that, we leave the dining hall, walking through a series of corridors. Though not much has changed since I was last here, a few things do catch my eye. Slightly out of the way of the kitchen are a laundry room, infirmary, and a few storage cupboards. It all seems so out of place, like it was put together in minutes.   
We push through the double doors and back out into the wasteland that was once Lorem University. 

"How horrible," Shiro says, "Whatever could have happened here?"

"So many of the buildings have just disappeared," Haruka sighs, "Like they were blown up or something."

Jin glances around, "D'ya actually think that's what happened?"

"Let's keep moving," I say, and walk on ahead.

We walk a few minutes in one direction, in a desperate hope of finding something of note. And it practically falls into our laps.

Another building. It's similar in aesthetic to the rest of the university - a deep, red brick with a strong stone roof and white accents. Most of the bricks are chipped and worn, and the whole walls are covered in ivy. The windows, though still intact and quite clean, are cracked in some places.   
It has the same double doors as the 1-B building, with a small, metal plaque reading 'Entertainment Building'.

"Oh, cool," Jin says, raising an eyebrow, "Is there a bar or something?"

"We should look later, don't you think?" Shiro says, flicking his hair behind his shoulder. His cheeks catch the light perfectly, and my heart jumps. _He's really gorgeous._

"What makes you say that?" Haruka says.

He points a finger slightly away from the building, and our eyes follow. "That."

A pile of rubble. Ash, wood and sediment all built up to form a large mound towards the edge of the fenced area. It seems to be fairly tucked away, wedged between two large dumpsters and a furnace, as if it had been hidden. Or at least attempted to be hidden.

I come up closer, rummaging around inside the pile and pulling out what appears to be a chunk of brick. Red brick.

"This has to be from one of the old buildings," I declare, passing the brick around the group. My hand is coated in chalky ash, clinging to my nails and skin. Perhaps the old grounds of Lorem are in my palm. Forgotten and destroyed.

"That's insane," Haruka says, dropping the brick, and it lands on Jin's toe. He promptly cries out in pain.

"So, the bomb theory could be true?" Shiro says.

"It's possible," I say, standing up to my full height. I brush my hands off on my skirt, "We should keep that in mind for now. Tory might want to know."

With that, we leave the rubble behind. The rubble that lingers in the back of my brain, nagging me. What possibly could it be? The remains of Lorem, or just a simple load of trash? Each question bounces through my brain like a hollow ball.

"You're not serious, are you?"

A voice snaps me out of my daze, and I look up to see it belongs to Kohi, who seems to have been grouped with Ayana, Daiki and Minato.

They stand a few metres away, though their conversation is still audible. 

Kohi is turned to Ayana, who has her arms gently folded as she stares at the floor. 

"Why wouldn't I be serious?" She says in a low voice. Daiki kicks a stone across the dirt, while Minato seems to be singing some other obscure song. 

"Yo," Jin says, winking, "You got lumped with all the dudes. Must be exciting."

Ayana seems startled at first, but flashes him a smirk, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"I can't believe this," Kohi says, moving his hands around frantically, "We need to get out of here!"

"Shut up, moron," Minato hisses, "It's just a little kid. They contribute nothing to our capitalist society. Leave them to die."

His words aggravate a fire in my eyes, but I grind my teeth and keep quiet.

"What do you mean a child?" Shiro asks, "Have you found a child on campus?"

"Ayana has a kid," Daiki says in his raspy voice.

My heart drops for a second, eyes darting around the area, looking for the right words to say. Ayana glares, judging every part of me. Warning me never to step foot near her. 

"Why would you say that, Daiki?" Kohi says, "You'll upset her! She probably doesn't want to think abo-"

"You have a baby?" Haruka says, grinning from ear to ear. She bounces over to Yana, circling her in excitement, "Oh my god, congratulations! What do they look like? What are they called? Oh, I bet they're _so_ cute."

"Don't patronise me, bitch," Ayana sighs, " _She_ isn't here. I just have to live with that."

Despite her words, I can feel the fear clouding her eyes. Her hands tremble as she fiddles with her necklace. 

"I guess you must've missed her birthday while you were unconscious," I sigh sadly.

"We're still going with the sleep thing?" Minato says, biting his nails, "No way, that's scientifically impossible. We'd starve to death, or we'd go into a coma. I read it in a book, we'd all be dead."

"Books lie," Jin says, snorting, "Once a book told me I could get a girlfriend no matter what."

"It's not implausible to think that," Kohi says, "Maybe Monokuma is lying about the whole time thing?"

"It'd be easy to programme the years wrong," Minato says smugly, placing his hands on his hips, "Reckon I could code that in precisely...20.45 seconds."

"You counted?" Daiki mutters.

"Can we talk about how Ayana literally has a baby at home?" I yell, "Who's gonna take care of her?"

"Babies do have dads you know," Jin says.

Daiki snorts, about to burst into laughter before he quietens himself.

"What're you laughing at?" Haruka asks, "Is something funny?"

"Ha," He says, "Shouldn't be saying this right now, but the dad's with all of us."

Another chill travels down my spine, and I feel myself twitch. 

"Holy shit!" Jin exclaims, his eyes lighting up, "Oh boy, do I want to see a bit of that."

"Stop it!" Kohi groans, rubbing his temples, "You're making her-"

"It's Kaso."

Ayana's stare penetrates me, filling me with the deepest feeling of guilt, though I can't help but notice the slight wavering in her eyes. She bites her lip, as if to stop it from quivering, yet maintains a calm composure that could easily fool the rest.

"I didn't wanna have to dwell on this," She sighs, picking under her acrylics, "But things didn't end well, and _some_ little asswipe can't keep his mouth shut."

Daiki snickers.

"How old is she?" Jin says, his gaze never breaking from Ayana's, and I swear I can see drool forming on his lips, "God, I wanna fuck a MILF so bad!"

Ayana pauses for a moment, staring at the floor. She taps her fingers together as if she's deep in thought, before saying in a low voice, "She's nearly 3. Yeah, she'd be 2 now. But I missed it all."

I feel my smile fade as she says this, each word more pained and anxious as she speaks. The thought of leaving a small child at home. The thought of missing her first two years of life. It sickens me, and some small part of my heart feels the slightest sympathy for Ayana.

She says no more and abruptly shoves through me and Haruka, as if to let any ounce of respect for her drain from my body. "I'm leaving. I want some tea."

Kohi's eyes light up, and he scampers after her, "I-I can make you some! I want to tell you about every flavour I know."

Our search continues for another hour or so, but to no avail. All we see are piles of rubble or fenced off areas that have little meaning to us. It seemed so endless, yet so completely pointless, and I slowly feel my energy fade.

With that, we decide to head back inside, only to be greeted by the rest of the students.

"Took your time," Amai sneers.

"Look at my new baby!" Aki grins, now revealing a new snail, "This is Lucifer. I found him under a leaf, where he was birthed."

_Great, now I have to learn which one is which._

"Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen," Tory mutters to herself, "Yes, that's everyone. Please take a seat and we can begin."

The next ten minutes all seem to pass by, like a leaf drifting in the wind. No direction, no purpose, simply carried by a light discussion, and the occasional gust of yelling or slamming of tables. Though I try my best to focus, only a few things particularly stick out to me.

"The bus is fully operational," Mitsuharu's voice echoes in my brain, "Though not particularly sturdy. The driver isn't keen to talk either, don't even really know what he looks like."

"A few areas are blocked off," Mamo says in a shy tone, "The fences are electrified, just like the one around the school."

"These places are fully decked out. The rooms are mostly personalised," Charlotte grins. I notice Mitsuharu raise an eyebrow slightly, but I push it aside and ignore him.

"Yeah," Yashira nods, "Kitchen's stacked. We ain't gonna be running out of food anytime soon."

A few more insignificant details fly by me, as I feel seconds, minutes, maybe hours pass. It's all irrelevant to me. All that matters are my thoughts.

Until...

"What the fuck? Gayass!" 

And then, a slam.

I look up to see Kaso, his fists tightly clenched, inhaling deeply, though it doesn't seem to calm his composure.

And Shiro. Flying through the air. 

Kaso's punch seems to have hurled him at least 3ft towards the ceiling, as he's flung across the room at god knows what speed. He lands in the corner of the canteen, and I wince at the sound of him colliding with the floor.

"Shit!" Shiro hisses, his normally smooth accent dropping to reveal a much harsher tone, "I mean-"

"Shiro!" Haruka yells, dashing over to help him, "Are you okay? Can you move?"

Shiro nods weakly, but every move only causes another cry of pain. He clenches his teeth. 

"Kaso!" I yell, clenching my fists in rage, "What was that for?"

"He tried to touch my dick!" Kaso almost screams, "What else was I supposed to do?"

"I simply said I thought it would be on the larger side, given your height," Shiro sighs, "Though you seem to have proven me wrong. I never touched it once, you ba-"

"Jesus Christ," Minato grumbles, "Anyone going to help him? Or are you all lazy asses?"

Upon hearing this, Mamo springs to attention, darting over to Shiro. He shyly holds out his hand, not once daring to meet his eyes, "C-come with me."

Shiro raises an eyebrow, his lips curling into a smirk, "I'm intrigued."

"T-to the infirmary!" Mamo says quickly, "That's not my intention. I'm sorry."

Shiro pouts, his eyes gleaming like an attentive puppy, but grips his hand, and is slowly dragged away into the corridor.

They leave us in silence, all glancing around the room awkwardly in hopes of finding anything to say. 

Kaso grunts, "Fuck you guys, I'm gonna go find the gym." He strides out of the room, his shoulders not once relaxing. Such pride, glamour almost. Daiki quickly follows, though his exit not as confident as his friend's. 

As groups slowly begin to leave, I feel the air grow more tense, as if it's being injected with dread. I don't want to move. How can I move when our lives are at stake? There's no way to leave. No way to run. We're stranded here for a time no one can predict.

_Apart from the person running this mess._

Before I can delve any deeper into that thought, I feel a light tap on my shoulder. Spinning around, I turn to face Jin, his expression more evidently uncomfortable.

"Hey," He says, his tone relaxing slightly as he scratches the back of his neck, "Mind if we talk?"

Those words catch me off guard. That voice- he can't be looking for anything risqué out of me. Any other day, I'd have run away and never looked back. But his face seems so tense. Concerned.

"What's up?" I say, making an effort to be as inviting as possible.

He folds his arms, hunching his back, "About earlier. I said some gross stuff."

_Ah._

I nod, urging him to keep talking.

He takes a deep sigh, "I'm sorry. It just slipped out, y'know? N-no, sorry, I shouldn't make dumb excuses."

Without taking a moment to think, I smile. A genuine smile, "That's fine, Jin. But why?"

He shrugs, "I've just...never had a girlfriend before. My life has gone to shit already, so I wanna find someone before it all ends."

Hearing this saddens me, and I feel my smile fade. Jin's face, his body, it blends into a man who could be rather desirable if it weren't for his slobbishness. 

_Perhaps he's hiding something beneath those layers of sweat._

"I," I say, my words trailing off, "I-I'm sorry I can't fill that role for you. But there's plenty of people out there for you!"

"You really think so?" He asks, his voice faltering as if he's about to cry, "Really?"

"Of course," I grin. 

He smiles slightly, though there's a hint of hesitation in his eyes, as if they're screaming _'of course you're lying.'_

"Thanks," He mutters, "I'll be at the bar. See you around?"

"It's likely."

**17 STUDENTS REMAIN**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy shit long ass chapter! i'm sorry. that was painful for me to write (apart from that i love writing for jin. i'm so excited for you guys to see more of his soft side!) i hope you stuck around til the end and enjoyed  
> and that concludes the prologue! free time events are next to be sure to vote for your favourites in the comments. i'm also taking votes on my wattpad (same name as here) and my discord server (link in wattpad bio)  
> thank you so so much for the positive response! i've loved reading your comments and opinions on the characters, so i just wanted to thank you for being so invested!


	7. Chapter One: 1 - Stone and the Snails

After concluding our search as relatively fruitless, we decide to go our separate ways. All the hours spent exploring, desperately searching for a way out of this hellhole, completely crumbled to pieces by such a wild group. Each person is so unique in their own way, and that's not the most favourable meaning of the word. I figure now would be a good time to just run to my dorm and cry it out. Perhaps screaming into my pillow until I fall asleep would be a good way to pass the time, providing no one murders me in the process. But no. I can't think like that now. Not if I want to stay sane. With that, I leave the canteen, exchanging my goodbyes with the remaining students.

My hopes of shutting myself away from the world are forcefully ripped from my hands as I feel that ever so familiar poke on the back of my leg. A poke so mind-numbing, yet painfully annoying, like a baby's cry. 

"Hey," That same little voice croaks. The croak that can only belong to one person.

"What do you want, Aki?" I take a deep inhale, releasing all the frustrated air from my chest. Turning around, she's crouched on the ground so much like she had been when we'd first met. One snail is perched on each of her shoulders, seeming rather pleased about mindlessly trailing along the wrinkles of her shirt. Aki curls her lips, narrowing her eyes as if she's just drawn on the walls with a permanent marker or some other crap to that effect.

She leaps up to her full height, similar to that of a frog, bouncing up and down to grab my attention, "Hey, Kinoodle. I wanna show you something."

I roll my eyes, unsure as to whether it's at the nickname or the thought of spending any time around her, "Hm? What is it, then?"

"You'll see," She snickers, reaching up to grab my hand. 

Yanking on my arm, she drags me away, her little legs pattering as she dashes through the building. For her size, she's quite quick and agile, and I struggle to match her pace for a while. We run past the dorm rooms, along some corridors, until she's pulled me out of the building and makes her way across campus.

"A-Aki," I stammer, desperately trying to pry myself from her unforgiving grip, "Please, I really don't have time. I want to go back to my-"

"Be quiet!" Aki yells, keeping her eyes - well, singular eye - focused on ahead of her, "If you object, I'll touch your belly button."

I groan, allowing her to lead me wherever she pleases. Probably better to lean into whatever strange obsession she has, lord knows what she'll do if she's provoked.

I feel time slip by before she eventually stops. Looking around, it seems she's dragged me to the other side of campus, the ocean surrounding us clearer than ever. Perhaps it would be a shimmering blue if not for the dejected grey sky looming above us. 

Aki looks up at me, grinning again, "Now, let me show you."

She turns around, her scrawny hands reaching for each of her snails as she places them down on the floor. Stepping gracefully to the side, she reveals a sizable rock that looks to have been placed on the dirt purposefully. Like it was thrown down from one of the rolling cliffs around us. Aki sticks her hands out, waving them in an undeniably adorable 'Ta-Da' motion. 

"A rock?" I tilt my head. Nothing remarkable about it, besides its strange location. 

The excitement instantly fades from her face, replaced with a look that can only be described as disappointment. Failure. 

"I'm sorry," She mumbles, looking at the floor, "I thought you'd like Stone."

"Stone?" I blurt out, more of a vocalised thought than a question. 

Instantly, she perks up again, picking up her snails and racing towards me, "Stone! This is Stone, a utopia for snails and spiders alike. There are no rules, no laws, just freedom amongst creatures. We're all equal, apart from Cthulhu and Lucifer who get extra lettuce rations on Sundays."

_And they say Communism is dead._

"Great," I smile through clenched teeth, "Anything else to show me?"

Aki looks around, bewildered, "Uh, look at my knees. They have bones. Do you have bones?"

I chuckle softly, maybe the first time I've laughed around this girl, "Yeah, we all have bones, Aki."

"Yay!" She giggles, "Anyways, I should leave Stone alone. It's their bedtime."

Something about her is endearing. The idea that her head is so filled with meaningless nonsense, the wackiest of scenarios, and let alone in a place like this. A killing game, and yet this little girl can only prioritise establishing some made up society for two garden snails.

I hold my hand out to her, "Do you wanna go back? Or do you want to show me something else?" 

She giggles, resting her snails on her shoulders, "I wanna do more stuffs. More fun stuffs."

"Like what?" I smile, watching her place her tiny little hand in mine. Though my hands aren't remarkably small or large, the sheer difference in our hand sizes is almost laughable, "You wanna go eat, or do you want to do something else?"

Not once taking her hand from mine, she stares deeply into the floor, almost as deep as she is in thought, "Ooh, I know, I know. Lemme show you."

"Okay," I say, laughing through the slight worry of being dragged around by a girl easily a foot shorter than me again, "B-but no running this time, okay? Just walk."

She nods. Without letting go of my hand, each step she takes is more cautious than the next in a desperate attempt to keep me up to speed. I can't help but laugh, listening to her count every step. 

"Twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven..." She mumbles, the 1-B building gradually growing closer with every step, "Twenty-nine, forty."

I'm puzzled for a moment, as if I've forgotten how numbers work myself before I laugh, "Aki, that's not how you count."

Aki pouts, "Oopsie."

Before I know it, we're inside again, the cold breezes of early October fizzled out by the indoor heating. I should be used to the interior by now, but something about it is unsettling. The cosy vibe doesn't feel so quite so cosy anymore. Each piece of furniture seems like it was put together in minutes, almost like it's some scaled up playset made out of wood. 

Shaking away my thoughts, I turn to Aki, "So, what did you want to do?"

She snaps out of her daze, pointing towards the dorms, "You wait. I'll go get stuffs. Take Cthulhu and Lucifer."

I barely even have a chance to respond before she practically throws the snails into my hands and dashes off down the corridor. I wince as they scuffle along my hand, their slimy trails grazing my skin. Reluctantly, I keep my palms flat as I walk towards her dorm room, waiting patiently beside the door.   
Praying that she won't be too long, I watch the snails, slowly meandering around the surface of my palm with no sense of direction or purpose. Occasionally, they shrink back into their shell only to meekly emerge a few seconds later. 

Though I don't have long to study their behaviour more before Aki patters down the corridor with two plastic bags in her hand, filled with some sort of clear material and other equipment.

She grins, "I got it. I got the stuffs."

"What is it?" I ask, placing the snails on her shoulders. She thrusts the bags in my face, the material seeming to be some sort of hard wax. Inside the bag is also a lighter, two portable stoves, plastic mould looking things, and what looks to be a packet of candle wicks.  
 _Ah, candlemaking._  
"Hold," She says, "Please."  
I take the bags from her, astonished that a girl her size could carry such weight as she takes out her handbook and lets us in.

Light flickers in the room, an immediate scent and of damp, old wood filling my nostrils. Only two words come to my mind as the room is illuminated by the soft amber glow of the cheap bulb.

Storage cupboard. 

The wallpaper is a dirtied cream colour, covered in cracks that seem almost artificial, like they were done by hand. Bookshelves line two of the walls, fully stacked with dusty old books that are probably older than time itself. Her tiny little bed is merely a mattress, tucked away behind a bookshelf and shrouded by thick cobwebs hanging from every corner. In the middle of the room is a circle that looks to be marked in white chalk, and a small plate of candles resides in the middle. Candles that are likely far better than the ones we're about to make. Aki dashes to the middle of the circle, trying not to trip over the books that have been mindlessly thrown across the floor. Plonking herself down, she pays at the seat next to her, almost commanding me to sit with her. I can't help but feel obliged, watching my feet closely as I step in between each book, candle, or other random objects.

_One wrong move and the whole room comes down._

Shuffling some stuff out of the way, I manage to squeeze in next to her mattress and Aki's bony thigh. The floor is hard, and I can already feel myself start to ache. 

"So," Aki says, as if to begin some long speech. She settles Cthulhu and Lucifer down, before grabbing the plastic bags and throwing their contents into a pile. "We're making burny things," She giggles, "You melt the hard stuff and make it into soft stuff. And then you put the soft stuff into a soft stuff mould and it becomes hard stuff again. You get it?"

"Y-yeah, we're making candles," I say, tripping over my words as I try my absolute hardest not to offend her. A silver gleam twinkles through the shadows of the pile, and I notice it's a bag of glitter. Many bags of glitter, all in different colours and shapes. She's also brought fake flowers and twigs from the garden. 

_She really put effort into getting all this._

Aki clasps her hands together, "Now. Turn on your hot thing."

My mind flashes through all the possibilities of what a 'hot thing' could be, but I eventually land on the portable stove. The sheer weight of my hands almost causes the old piece of junk to collapse, but I keep it steady and rest it on the floor in front of me. Almost simultaneously, Aki and I reach for a few cubes of wax, the room filled with no noise other than the buzzing of the light bulb. 

Eyes darting around the room as if searching for something to say, my lips start moving before I can think.

"Hey Aki," I blurt out, dropping the wax into the pot, "How did you find your talent?"

At first, she refuses to unfix her beady eyes from the wax that's already begun to melt around the edges, until she jolts her head towards me, "Huh? I just like demons and demons like me."

"But," I say, unsure, "That surely can't be it. You must've been interested in it as a kid, right?"

Aki nods, as she tries to prod the hot plate with her finger, recoiling as the heat prickles up her skin, "One time, after I'd eaten my Friday animal crackers, I heard a voice. And I spoke to him, he told me some good books. And then I started talking words and writing words. And then...stuff."

"Great story," I sharply inhale through my teeth, stirring the wax around with a spoon as it begins to melt away. Though not completely covering it, the wax seems to disguise the looming scent of damp and mould, and I feel less violated inhaling the air. 

"But, I suppose you're correct," She croaks, her voice only becoming more hoarse as it quietens, "It's something to do. Earth days are so long and boring. I wanna live on Jupiter."

The wax seems to have melted into a thick liquid, now much clearer than its solid formation. Glancing over to Aki, I notice her holding the wick in place as she gently pours the liquid wax into some sort of silicon mould. 

When it's filled to the brim, she settles it down on the ground, before abruptly leaping into my arms. Tightly, longingly, she wraps her scrawny arms around my waist so hard, I can practically feel her bones digging into my skin. Perhaps she'll snap like a twig.

"Kinoodle," She murmurs, muffled by the face full of my shirt, "Take me to Jupiter! I wanna go, you'll take me right?"

I want to recoil, break away from her grip, but I feel forced to keep my arms around her, holding her in a tight blanket, "It'd be cold, and you'd need a big, big rocket, Aki."

Nuzzling into my chest, I listen to her ramble some more, "We can walk, it won't take too long, I promise."

Sighing, I rub her back, "Okay, we'll try. But later, huh?"

Aki nods, slipping out of our hug, "You feel like Kuroko. Squishy and warm."

I look down at my chest. _Yup, definitely not squishy._

For a while, we continue to make candles in complete silence, as if our last interaction never happened at all. Fading into obscurity, perhaps lost in some dark part of that little girl's brain. Time seems to have slipped by me, and I can barely recall any part of making my candle. But it's in my hands, solidified, and tiny purple flowers suspended throughout the milky white wax. 

_Pretty good job for my first go._

Aki stares at me, like she's waiting for me to give her another hug. But I'm reluctant, only one thing dwelling in the back of my mind. Banging against my skull, lingering on the tip of my tongue as I feel I could blurt it out any moment now.

_What the hell is up with her eye?_

She seems to notice me staring, instantly shaking her head, as if to say _'No way.'_

Her own candle is a complete mess. Besides the extremely clean and precise shape, she seems to have just dumped every single decoration in there that she can. Translucent wax only blurs the twinkle of the glitters. 

"Should I be going, then?" I say, steadying myself as I slowly stand up. 

Aki nods, "Yup yup, it's time for Cthulhu and Lucifer to go sleepies."

She picks up the snails, settling them down on her stone tablet of a pillow that would probably break her neck in her sleep, before placing a thin cloth over them as a makeshift blanket. Smiling, I make my way towards her door, begging not to take my eyes away from her. 

_A little girl so lost in her imagination, trying to wade through life._

As I press my hand onto the door handle, I call to her for the final time.

"Goodbye, Aki. Hope to see you on Jupiter."


	8. Chapter One - 2: Future Ultimate Electrician

Candle in hand, I leave Aki's room. Almost as soon as I close the door, the fresh scent of normality comes flooding back to me, draining out any last hints of old wood or books. I prepare to head back to my room, or maybe go to the kitchen for a quick bite to eat, but a sudden tickling feeling sends a cold chill up my spine. I shriek, looking down at my thumb to see a sizeable spider, still attached to its web. Hastily, I brush the thing off, almost leaping away from it as it hits the ground. As it crawls away, I breathe a deep sigh of relief.

"Scared of spiders, then?" A low, raspy voice calls to me, and I jump in fright again. 

Mitsuharu stands only a few metres away, watching me closely with his sharp emerald eyes. His arms are folded, in his typical careless look as he sweeps his hair from his eyes. 

"Were you watching me?" I bite my lip furiously, "Dude, how long have you been there?"

He throws his hands up, "Woah, we just happened to walk in the same direction. Don't jump to conclusions."

I nod to myself, as if to end the conversation right there and then. _Don't argue with someone smarter than you, Kihona._

"What's that?" He asks, pointing to the candle in my hand, "Aki gave it to you?"

Glancing back at Aki's door, I notice her nameplate again. A golden plaque nailed to the door, engraved with her names in intricate lettering, "Kinda. We made candles together."

Something close to a chuckle escapes his lips, though it sounds more like an amused exhale. "How adorable."

 _Sarcastic prick._ My grip on the candle intensifies. 

"Are you on your way anywhere?" I ask, trying to brush off my previous anger, "What're you doing around here?"

He shrugs, face wrinkling slightly, "Dunno, just idling really. Why?"

"Can I join?" I grin eagerly, "I'll just drop this off in my room, and maybe we can hang out?"

He grins, rolling his eyes, "Sure, I'll be waiting here."

Scuttling towards my room, I click the door open, practically dashing inside and throwing the candle on my bed. Making Mitsuharu wait doesn't seem particularly thrilling, likely not just to me. I re-emerge from my room with a warm smile as I close the door behind me.

When I turn back to him, he appears to be trying to peer around the door.

"What's up?" I tilt my head, "Something bothering you?"

He shrugs, "Hm. Probably nothing. Your room is personalised, right?" 

I nod, "Looks like it. Basically identical to my room at home."

Mitsuharu narrows his eyes, rubbing his chin in thought, "Interesting."

"Is that a problem?" 

"No, let's just keep walking." 

A brief silence falls over us as I shuffle my feet on the ground, looking for something to say. 

"So," I say, blinking to avoid staring at him, "Where do you wanna go?" 

Again, he shrugs, "Dunno. Outside, maybe?" 

I grin, "Sounds great. It'll be nice to get some fresh air."

As I run along beside him, we walk out of the building together. His slow-paced walk leaves me more relaxed than I could ever be around Aki, being pulled around the campus like some kind of toy horse. 

Once again, the fresh air hits my face. The sky is still a gloomy grey colour, wrapping around the campus like a sheet of iron. Like a messenger of weather, the darkest of clouds warn us of upcoming rainfall as if to deter us from being outside. 

"There," Mitsuharu almost demands, pointing to a patch of grass towards the edge of campus, surrounded by small hills and inclines, the towering mountains behind them.

Quite pretty, but again, so out of place for such an urban area. 

I nod again, running alongside him to keep up.

"So," I utter, trying my best to think of something to say, "Y-you're an electrician?"

He stops walking, turning to me with a raised eyebrow, "Yes? You forgot?" 

Laughing nervously, I wave my hands in front of me as some sort of denial, "N-no! I'm just curious. How did that come about?" 

"Why do you ask?" He asks, continuing to walk. 

"Well, look at you. You don't strike me as the electrician type," I hide my hands behind my bank. 

Mitsuharu laughs. A genuine laugh, as if it's the funniest thing he's ever heard, "Trust me, I was more emo as a kid." 

_How is that even possible?_ "Oh, damn. Why did you tone it down."

Suddenly, he grabs my shoulders and I feel my heart skip a beat. Or ten.

"Try being the emo nerd kid in a state school." He says. "That shit gets bullied out of you." 

"Ha," I say, but it isn't the slightest bit funny. I'm too exasperated to deliver any other response, just captivated by his glistening green stare, the green of a leaf after rainfall.

"Well, about your first question," He says, sliding his hands from me. The studs on his rings graze my skin, a coldness running through me. "I just liked building stuff. Any kid does. And they want their projects to move. My mom just happened to have the parts lying around to make them move. And then, an electrician is born." 

I laugh as if to shake off the previous emotions, letting them wash over me like the grey clouds above, "Wow, cool."

We walk a little further, making small talk as we do, before seating ourselves on the grassy hills. 

As I pull my knees to my chest, I look at him sheepishly. He seems lost in thought as always, tracing his finger in the grass, mud likely creeping in under his nails. 

"Hey, Mitsuharu?" 

He looks to me, clearly taken by surprise, "Hm? Oh, yeah?" 

"You know what you said about state school?" I grimace as I talk, turning to the horizon. _It's so much clearer. I can practically see the other students._

"Yeah?" He stares at me intensely, edging me to speak further.

"Well, I went to one too. I don't look like it, do I?"

He seems taken aback, shaking his head, "Definitely not. I mean, your dad is a CEO, right?"

Flushing, I hide my face, "Y-yeah. I mean, I went to fancy private schools. Until I got kicked out..."

Those last few words feel like a curse. Like I'll be punished for speaking, for ever bringing to light what had happened all those years ago. Something I wanted to move on from, the whole reason I escaped to Lorem University. _Lord knows why I'd tell someone like this emo prick._

"Wow," Mitsuharu seems almost lost for words, "I didn't expect that from you."

Before either of us can speak, my handbook buzzes in my shirt pocket, glowing with a bright screen. Groaning, I pray it's not Monokuma adding some dumb rule or Kaso spam texting us threats, and pull the machine out. Flicking it on, a new notification lights up the screen.

_'Tory: Do you have a minute?'_

_'Tory: Please come to the canteen, it's somewhat urgent.'_

Millions of possibilities all hit me at once. Is someone dead? Did we find a way out? 

What could Tory possibly want from me? 

Perhaps her gentle nature is all a facade, and she plans to slit my throat the moment I enter the room.

But no, those thoughts are dangerous. Too dangerous to let them cloud my judgement.

I shake it off and return my handbook into my shirt pocket.

"Should we go?" Mitsuharu raises an eyebrow, looking down at his own handbook. He'd received the same texts. 

"I don't see why not," I shrug, "Can't do us too much harm. And I'm with you, right?"

Something forms on his face, just shy of a smile, but too forced to be genuine, "Alright. Let's go."

The two of us stand up almost simultaneously, walking to the canteen in complete silence. 

To my surprise, we're not the only ones she's dragged down here. A few of the larger dining tables have been pushed together in the middle, with seventeen chairs around it.

Others are seated there, and it seems we're the last to arrive.

Jin immediately notices me and pats on the empty chair next to him with a wayward grin. 

"Kiki!" Haruka beams, waving to me as I seat myself at the table, "You got invited too?"

I laugh, "Wouldn't call it an invitation, but yeah."

"Maybe she's gonna kill us all in one go?" Jin says, "What's she gonna use? Machine guns? Gas? Fire?"

"Don't be silly," Haruka pouts, "Tory's nice, she'd never do that."

"Pretty bold claim to make, eh?" A voice, slightly off to the side says. We each turn to see Kaso, his head thrown back over the chair, and his legs casually resting on the once pristine tabletop. 

He smirks, "You're assumin' she's not just lying? Puttin' on a fake smile? Anyone would."

"What do you mean?" I say, "Why would she want to keep us together if she was plotting against us?"

"Fuck," He laughs, talking down to me as if I'm a child, "You're a pussy, Kihona."

I can barely stop my teeth from grinding in my mouth, like sandpaper against my tongue, "Don't call me that! Just because I'm positive doesn't mean I have my guard down. My dad put me in judo, so-"

Before I can finish, the sound of Tory clearing her throat fills the room. Likely for the better, as it would pain me to tell Kaso I never made it past the first belt.

"Thank you all for coming," Tory says with an exhausted sigh, "I've gathered you here to put forward an idea."

"You suck," Yashira spits, flashing her middle finger toward her.

Charlotte nods, "I hate you leading. Makes me cringe, dude."

"You saying 'dude' is probably the cringiest thing here," Amai says with a smirk, her lip curling smugly.

Arguments start to erupt across the room. Millions of voices all blending into one, their words banging against my skull. My head pounds, until Tory slams her fist on the table.

"That's enough!" She yells, her expression unnervingly stern. The noise shatters like a wine glass, the canteen filling with an awkward silence.

Tory takes another deep breath, "I'm sorry, I went too far. Anyway, I wanted to discuss the possibility of chores."

It's like an alarm going off, a sudden wave of groans sounding from the other students.

"Fuck off!" Daiki yells, spitting on the table, and my stomach turns as I watch, "I'm not running around after you."

"Clean your own damn school," Minato hisses, "Since you act like it's yours, woman."

Tory mutters something, biting her lip furiously, "It's a joint effort. Each of us will work in groups of four or five to complete these tasks."

She fumbles around in the pockets her blazer, pulling out a sheet of crumpled paper. "General cleaning, including trash duty, garden maintenance, cooking and laundry. These were all personally requested by Monokuma."

"Also," She continues, retrieving a small key from her pocket, dangling it from her finger as if she's taunting a kitten, "He provided me with this. It allows access to the university incinerator."

My interest immediately perks up, watching as the key sways from side to side before my eyes. So much power within a chunk of metal, power to destroy anything. Including a body. 

A chill runs down my spine as I think this, and I instantly push it to the back of my mind.

"That's all fine and dandy," Shiro says, picking at his cuticles out of disinterest, "But how shall we decide who does what?"

"Simple," Tory says, "We pick names randomly. I don't want everyone having access to this key, so I will leave it in the hands of a trusted individual."

One by one, Tory assigns each job, mostly followed by a dissatisfied groan or a loud curse word. I wait anxiously, as she slowly reaches my chair, and hands me a small slip of paper.

'Cleaning.'

I don't exactly know what I was expecting, none of the jobs seem particularly exhilarating. Cleaning has never been something I'm entirely familiar with, I'd always just watch the maid my mother had paid for whisking around the room with a vacuum and duster. Perhaps cleaning could be relaxing, an opportunity to let all my thoughts be drowned by the smell of disinfectant. 

I look over to Haruka, who seems to have been assigned to laundry, and Jin to cleaning alongside me. Some seem happier than others to be working, but I let the fact I'm with a friend ease my uncertainty a little.

"I-is there even a garden here?" Mamo says, "What garden is there to maintain?"

"I saw one while I was wandering around," Kohi nods, though not making eye contact and rather staring at his shoes, "Looked nice. Just some roses and a shed."

"Ayana," Tory says, as Ayana whirls her head around attentively, "Do you think you could take the trash key?"

Ayana raises an eyebrow, "Why me? Don't you wanna take it?"

"I don't think everyone will take too kindly to me taking it," Tory exhales, sadness filling her voice, "I'm clearly not the most popular."

Ayana doesn't seem entirely convinced - her forehead wrinkles, her nose so scrunched up it's practically reaching her brow bone, but she nods, "Go ahead. Hand it over."

Tory tosses her the key, as it flies through the air. Its landing would've been rather graceful had Ayana not snatched it like her life depends on it.

"Are we done now?" Yashira says, tapping her nails on the table, "I wanna go. This is boring."

Tory seems prepared to dismiss us, until Kaso's chair screeches from underneath him.


	9. Chapter One - 3: Out on the Town

Kaso stands up, "Nah. I have somethin' to add."

_Lord knows what he could want. To cuss us out? Maybe announce he's placed a bomb on campus?_

"Go on," Tory sighs, taking her seat at the table.

A smirk spreads across Kaso's lips, as he suddenly pushes himself onto the table, knocking over plates and cups as he does. "Don't you guys think this place sucks?" He says, his voice comparable to a crappy stand-up act, "Like, there ain't no shit to do 'round here."

Kuroko seems puzzled, "So, there ain't no shit to do? So there's _not_ nothing to do, you mean there's loads to-"

"Shut up, whore." Kaso says, stomping on the table as it wobbles beneath him. "Anyways, was just thinkin' that there's a bar here."

Jin's eyebrow creeps up in interest, and I can't help but shake my head in dismay.

"How about we go out? A break night type thing," Kaso continues, a blue twinkle in his eyes, "Booze, sex, drugs if we have 'em."

"N-no," Mamo says almost suddenly, "No drugs. There are no drugs on campus. U-unless-"

"Whatever," Kaso shrugs, "Not the fuckin' point. Let's do it."

"100 per cent!" Yashira grins, standing up so enthusiastically her chair goes flying, "Count me in."

"Yes, I am all for this," Shiro nods, "A night fuelled by alcohol could be the perfect catalyst for some romance, hm?"

"Romance?" Charlotte smirks, "Ha. Like your thinking."

More answers are thrown at him, most ranging from agreements, to reluctantly obliging. I have to admit, Kaso's thinking isn't entirely irrational. Though possibly for the wrong reasons, a night together could help bond us. To become more of a team. To build trust.

"Then it's settled, 8:00 tonight," Kaso concludes, leaping off the table, "Don't think the goth or the slut are comin', but we'll make do without 'em."

"I'm the 'goth' you're referring to, hm?" Mitsuharu cocks his head, "I don't think you have any reason to call me a slut. Either way, I'm coming."

"Yeah," Ayana nods, "This slut is coming. Just like you do after two minutes."

"Make that 20 with a sour ass face like that," Kaso smirks, before turning to leave, "Be there or you're a pussy."

With that, he leaves, leaving the rest of us sitting bewildered. Despite us all being here, the room feels empty, like we're stranded on a desert island. Kaso's mere presence seems to take up the whole building, sucking every last drop of attention out of us like some morbid sponge.

"What was all that about, then?" Tory says, fiddling with her hair. 

"God," Minato scoffs, "Normies will do anything to have so-called fun. I drink alcohol for the taste, not for the-"

"Jesus, just shut up," Daiki groans, "I think Kaso's idea is great."

"You think everything about him is great," Amai says, snorting as she laughs, "You're _totally_ gay for him. Just confess."

Daiki's face flushes bright red, desperate to hide any trace of his embarrassment, "Wh-what the hell are you talking about? I'm not gay! You are."

"Oh my god," Amai practically keels over with laughter, holding onto Ayana's shoulder merely to keep her upright, "That's so funny. I mean, Kaso seems like a closet case, so you might as well serenade him with a homoerotic poem!"

"Closet case?" Kuroko seems suddenly intrigued, turning to Amai, "You mean Kaso likes cupboards? That's interesting."

"Look, I'm out," Daiki says, raising his hands slightly before stomping out of the room, heated and mortified.

"Nothing wrong with being gay, darling," Shiro smirks, twirling a strand of his hair around his finger.

As Amai starts to leave, Kuroko follows her, bouncing alongside her like a curious bunny. The sound of ridiculous questions about Kaso and cupboards, followed by Amai yelling cuss words, slowly fades away into the distance.

More people leave shortly after, exchanging their goodbyes. 

"What's alcohol?" Aki says, staring at her snails as they shuffle around her palms, "I heard my mommy talking about it once. She said it made her angry."

It's not out of the ordinary for Aki to completely baffle me, but I can't help but feel sympathetic. I feel myself reaching out to comfort her, but she's vanished before I can say a word.

* * *

The dusky green fabric of my bed curtains surrounds me, casting a cool green over my face. Deep brown hardwood stares straight back at me as I lie entangled in the sheets I'd only just made. And yet the smallest of movements seem to have crumpled them, it seems almost worthless to have to make them again. I don't know how long it's been since the meeting. Perhaps 10, 20, 60 minutes. Maybe hours, or perhaps I've slipped into a deep slumber and avoided it all. I try to shift my aching body out of bed, the slightest movement of my limbs causing my joints to crack. Moving is tortuous, but I have to leave my room. 

I can't miss this night. 

A chance to bond with all my classmates, to build friendships and trust. A night to forget the looming threat of murder, to forget our lives ever even happened.   
The clock in the corner of my handbook reads 7:30, and I practically fall into the plush pleather armchair sitting in front of my vanity. A line of small cosmetic products is neatly set aside, though I haven't touched them since we arrived. It always felt dirty, like using someone else's toothbrush, but tonight I have to put those feelings aside. I clump on a little more mascara than usual, slowly combing through my strawberry-blonde locks. The colour had been tainted so many years ago after I'd impulsively demanded my mother dye it. Even after all these years, only the slightest of my blonde roots are beginning to grow through. Growing out of my past, growing out the torturous red. Bright red hair hadn't lasted long before I'd grown sick of it and asked her to take it out and to no avail. How I had taken my mother for granted, how I'd acted like she was as disposable as a tissue, still lingers in the back of my mind. I crave her warm hands, her soft eyes and her kind voice more than ever. I grab my usual hair-tie from my vanity, the plastic pearls scraping loudly against the glass, and pull my hair into a higher ponytail. Perhaps prettier looking, but far worse of a headache usually follows. My bracelets still hang loosely on my wrists, little red marks embedded into my skin from long hours of wear, so I slip my shoes on and leave my dorm.

Those pink hallways still take me by surprise whenever I see them, as if I shouldn't already be used to being trapped in my own university. It's like the reality hasn't quite set in, the thought that anyone could be planning my demise. My gruesome death. My murder. 

And they would be rewarded with freedom. 

As I make my way out of the main building, the fresh air hits my face, along with the thousands of questions I've likely asked myself millions of times. 

_Do any of them have it in then to kill? Am I an easy target? Or do I pose more of a threat than I hope?_

I'm drifting deeper into thought until I feel a light prodding on the back of my knee. The shock makes me want to throw a kick, but I compose myself and turn around. 

Only someone as small as Aki would poke me that low.

"Hello," She croaks, looking up at me with her one puppy-dog eye. Something is missing. 

"Hi, Aki," I say, trying to soften my voice, "Where are your snai- I mean, uh, Cthulhu and Lucifer?"

She looks at her tiny black loafers, clearly worn from years of scuffing. _Those can't be made for adults._

"In a bowl," She says, "I don't want them to drink, so I put them in a bowl of peas." 

"Makes sense," I lie, "You heading to the bar?" 

She nods, looking up at me as if she wants to hold my hand before racing out ahead and into the Entertainment building. 

A flash of yellow and purple catches my eye, only to see Kuroko darting across the campus and sweeping Aki into her arms. She lifts her into the air, swinging her round in circles as Aki giggles uncontrollably. I can't help but smile, though the thought Aki is the same age as us unsettles me slightly.

_Did she ever grow up?_

They head in, and I shortly follow.

The Entertainment building isn't somewhere I've stepped foot in before, yet the pink wallpaper and brown flooring aren't unfamiliar at this point. It sort of reminds me of an old grandma's house, the type who's overly obsessed with those old china dolls or Victorian teddy bears. 

I glance at the clock hanging just above the door, hoping to find some sort of time. Expecting it to read somewhere around 8, I'm taken back when it seems to point to the 10th notch. I check my handbook, reading 8:12 pm, my eyes racing back and forth between the two clocks. 8, 10, 8, 10. 

"Crappy thing must be broken," I mumble, sliding my handbook back into my pocket. 

"What was that?" A voice says, and I turn to see Tory standing behind me. She cocks her head at me, and it's clear she heard my incoherent muttering. 

"Huh?" I choke on air, "Oh, yeah. The clock's broken, that's all." 

"I see," She narrows her eyes, "Are you coming?"

"Yeah, of course."

The two of us walk through the bar doorway, surrounded by a room already alive with thunderous chatter. The sound of glasses clinking together and the foaming of beer pouring out of its faucet is too unfamiliar, and I almost want to run. But the room itself has a comfortable enough vibe. The carpet is a rich, deep red, like it's been dyed with blood, and the walls are panelled with a shiny dark oak, matching the bar and stools themselves. Green bottles of spirits and wines line the shelves hung at the back of the bar arranged perfectly in height order. Jin immediately takes my eye, already surrounded by a sea of shot glasses, eyes sunken and vacant. Haruka sits close by, sticking to a simple fruit juice. A few others like Kaso seem to be a few drinks in, and others like Ayana have barely touched their first glass.

  
Sheepishly, I take a stool at the counter next to Ayana, who stares lifelessly into the abyss of her wine glass. A simple white wine that isn't out of place for someone as classy as her, and I watch her slowly trace the rim of her glass with her finger. Lost. 

"Hey," I say, catching myself talking before I think, "Ayana? You okay?"

She blinks at me, her fluffy eyelashes concealing almost half her eyes, "Yeah, what's the issue?" 

I shrug, "Look a little lost is all I'm saying. Everything okay?"

She sighs, her sadness peeking through, "Well, no. No one's okay."

She's not wrong. I highly doubt any of us are particularly okay given the situation. Though something seems off about her, something's hiding behind those sultry brown eyes.

"Your baby," I say, cringing as the words leave my mouth, "I'm sorry you lost her."

She raises an eyebrow before a soft smile creeps onto her lips. Perhaps the first time she's ever smiled at someone taller than 5ft. 

"She's not dead," She chuckles lightly, sipping from her wine glass, "She has a carer at home, she'll be safe and sound."

I nod, as if I'm trying to reassure myself. "What's she called?"   
"Kayori." She says, smiling as she does. A genuine smile fuelled by love, her cheeks flushing red. "Don't judge, I was young."

"Why should I judge?" I say, watching as Kaso slowly creeps up behind Ayana, trying to listen in on our conversation. Sighing, I try to ignore him, "You clearly love her, and she must love you back, so what's the problem?" 

She doesn't respond, merely staring at her glass - now littered with lipstick stains. "It's funny, huh? Being an escort and having a kid."

I shrug, "Still, having a two-year-old must-"

"Fucking shut up!" Kaso yells from behind and Ayana flinches so dramatically, I fear she'll fall off the barstool.

The entire bar silences, staring at Kaso. He holds a half-full bottle of beer, leaning sluggishly against the wall for support, "Dirty fuckin' liar!"

Ayana tenses, holding onto the counter so tightly, her fingers start to tremble, "What?"

"Two?" He cocks his head, a certain condescending tone in his mannerisms, "Lyin' ain't good for you, babe. Unless you're shit at countin'. Either fits you."

"What are you talking about?" I stand up, clenching my fists. I'm nowhere near ready to fight a man his size, but something heated is burning in my heart, forcing me up. 

He smirks, a smirk I'm all too familiar with, tossing his beer bottle on the floor, "Why don't you tell 'em, Yana? About how _our_ kid is actually six years old? Or should I do it?"

"You dick," Ayana hisses, her voice faltering. 

"What the shit?" Jin slurs from across the room, "Oh man, she's more of a MILF than I thought!"

"She was...14, creep," Amai sighs, pausing as she seems to work the numbers in her head, hard candy crunching under her teeth. Jin slams his head onto the shot glasses, sending them flying across the room.

"Now, why in the fuck would you lie?" Kaso grins, edging closer to Ayana until he's inches from her face, "You scared?"

"Knock it off!" Kohi cries, grabbing tufts of his hair in a panic, "Please, you might hurt her."

Seconds pass, maybe even minutes, but they pass like trudging through snow. Waiting, waiting for Kaso to do something, anything. Whether he'll punch her, leave her, or something worse, nobody in the room feels certain. 

Until Kaso finally steps back from her, still smirking as per usual. He brushes off his jacket, eyeing all of us one by one, "Thanks for comin', y'all." He kicks my barstool over and I leap out of the way to avoid its path before he leaves with his typical strut. Daiki swiftly follows. 

Silence floods the room, not a word slipping through the crack in the noise. Just fourteen pairs of eyes on Ayana. Yet she remains composed. She grabs her wine glass, downing the rest in one.

"Fuck you all," She mumbles, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. Brown lipstick smears across her face, though she doesn't seem remotely bothered.

Haruka looks at her, "Are you oka-"

"Yeah, definitely. Skank," She narrows her eyes, preparing to leave, "If any of you look at me again, I'll cut your balls off."

"I have balls?" Kuroko says, patting on her shirt pockets, "Hm, no, I think those are bre-"

"You'll be first." Ayana shoots a glare at Kuroko, and despite her warm colour, her eyes seem so cold. Icy, sending waves of discomfort through my veins. 

She leaves, the clacking of her boots fading into the distance. I half expect Kohi to leave with her, but he stays quiet, staring at the floor in disbelief. A few more moments of silence pass, before Tory raises her voice.

"We shouldn't let that spoil our night, it's fine."

The whole group seems to unanimously agree, and the chatter rises again.

* * *

The next few hours fly by me, the only memories being the trickling of wine against my glass, the sound of me asking for refills and the spinning of my head. I lose count of how many I've had no more than an hour in, praying to forget the tension earlier. Listening to Minato's petulant whining about women, politics, or whatever random controversy he can think of, feels noticeably less aggravating as the world begins to blur. Watching Jin fail miserably at trying to seduce Kuroko or Charlotte is so much more humorous. All while I try to ignore the swaying of my vision. The time hits around 12AM, and most seem to have left in their own time, likely for the better. 

"Are you guys staying?" I say, propping myself up against the door.

Shiro nods, "Hm, I think I will. I'm rather enjoying this night."

"Oh, yeah totally," Yashira says, "You droppin' out? Don't worry, you deserve some sleep."

Charlotte nods as well but doesn't say anything.

Minato rolls his eyes, "Sure, whatever. As long as you guys keep quiet."

Jin offers no form of response, but him being slumped over the counter suggests he has no intention of leaving. 

Haruka looks at me, bright-eyed and eager, "You're leaving? You want me to walk you back?"

I smile at her, my vision foggy, but I can tell she's smiling back, and she jogs up to my side and walks alongside me.

Midnight breezes embed in my skin. The sweat from the bar seems to cool almost instantly. I watch as the stars hang low in the night sky, scattered like silver sprinkles. The moon is shrouded by a murky, grey cloud, fading into mere mist. Such a lovely midnight view it would be if not for that cloud. Entering the main building feels like stepping in a giant kiln. The absence of air conditioning hits me again, heat clinging to my pores.

Haruka walks me to my dorm in silence. I want to say something, but the room is spinning too violently that if I even dare to open my mouth I could vomit. 

She looks up at me, her blue eyes glassy, "Do you need me to stay?"

I shake my head, taking a deep breath to settle the sickness. Her smile fades and she seems almost disappointed. Like she'd give anything to stay longer. But hanging around with her wouldn't offer much more than leaving her. 

"Goodnight, Haruka," A hiccup follows my words.

"Yeah," She says, "Night, Kiki. Text me if you need me, kay?"

 _Oh yeah, the university messenger app._ Such minute things always slip my mind.

Haruka leaves, waving to me rather half-heartedly, and I unlock my dorm room.

I don't even stop to remove my makeup or rinse off in the shower, scrambling to put my pyjamas on and letting my hair down. Collapsing onto my bed, I can't help but feel some other kind of sickness. Bubbles, butterflies, a disgusting nervousness that makes my chest heavy and I don't want to breathe. Drifting off into an uncomfortable sleep, only one phrase dawdles at the back of my mind.

_I don't want anyone to die._


	10. Chapter One - 4: First Blood

The morning announcement wakes me with a shock, as my eyes flash open. The moment I wake up, I feel the pounding in my head. Like drills in my ears, the pain feels like it could split my brain in half. My vision is warped and I feel an intense sickness in my stomach.

_I had too much to drink._

Every instinct in my mind begs me to stay in bed, slip back into sleep and pray that this god awful hangover will pass, but the announcement played, and I feel like there's no other opinion. 

Inch by inch, I move further out of my bed, and the moment I stand up, it feels as if I could just flop right back down. But I persist, showering and dressing as what would soon become usual. 

I can't remember much of the night before, mostly just Jin and Kaso smacking their heads against the bar surface and pouring beer straight from the tap into their mouths. Surely, I hadn't had too much. I've never been a heavy drinker, just the occasional wine or champagne. _Perhaps my alcohol tolerance is staggeringly low._

I half expect to be greeted by Haruka first thing though, to my surprise, she's nowhere to be seen. Instead, Ayana walks down the corridor, her head buried in her handbook. 

She looks up at me, an awkward expression flashing over her face briefly. She turns slightly away from me, raising an eyebrow, "What do you want?"

"Hi," I say with little energy, "What're you looking at?"

"Messages," She says curtly, before leaving for the kitchen.

Whipping out my handbook, I turn it on and read the messages from the night before.

_'Jin: Gfod I fuckcinfg love you can we just hvae sex'_

_'Jin: fcuck wrong eprson'_

_'Haruka: Going to sleep for the night, let me know if you need anything! <3 ^_^'_

_'Mamoru: hi'_

_'Kuroko: How do I type?'_

_'Kuroko: Nevermind, worked it out! Thank you.'_

Groaning, I put it away, and look up to try and console Ayana. Remembering her outburst last night, knowing the truth about her and Kaso's life, it can't have been particularly fun for her. But before I can shout her, she's gone.

I head down to the kitchen, any kind of proper greeting cut off by Kohi already standing in front of me with a tray of green tea.

"Good morning," He says shyly, "I made tea, it's supposed to be good for a hangover."

I take one off the tray, though my throat can't utter any words to thank him. I just let out a rather strange noise. 

Haruka is perched on one of the tables, waving frantically to me. 

"Hey, hey! How did you sleep? Last night was _so_ fun!"

I nod slightly, sipping on my tea. It hydrates my throat a little, but I feel like my stomach will instantly project it out of me.

"Where is everyone?" Tory asks, "There aren't many people around today."

"It's literally, like, not even half past," Ayana frowns, "Probably just sleeping."

"You can see why it's a little worrisome, though," Mamo says quietly, sipping his tea. 

"Most of them were drinking a lot last night," Haruka says, "Chances are they're waiting for the sickness to pass."

The churning in my stomach increases as she says that. There's only six of us in the canteen - me, Tory, Ayana, Haruka, Kohi and Mamo. We continue to talk amongst ourselves as more people eventually enter the room. Some stagger in, practically still drunk. Others seem perfectly fine, while some look like they would have preferred to have stayed in bed. But some are still missing and, as time goes on, my gut rings with nerves. Minato, Charlotte, Kuroko and Amai. All of them gone.

"Uh," Kohi says, raising his hand, and all eyes turn to him. He shuffles awkwardly, "Is french toast okay this morning? I'd rather just cook one kind of meal for all of us."

"Give us more fuckin' booze, ya little cumstain!" Kaso yells, swaying from side to side.

"Put hazelnut spread in it!" Haruka says. I can practically feel her mouth watering.

"I wish I never woke up," Mitsuharu sighs, burying his face in his palms.

"I-I'll take that as a yes," Kohi says, his eyes frantically moving around the room.

Watching Jin walking into the room is almost comedic. It's like his legs aren't working at all, as he stumbles into the room, a pained expression spreading across his face with every movement. Before coming to us, he hobbles over to Ayana, eventually limping over to our table.

As he sits down, he lets out a loud cry of pain.

"What the fuck did I _do_ last night?" He groans, smacking his head on the table, shaking the plates and cups. 

"Looks like you had a rough one," I say. Haruka snickers, but doesn't say anything. 

Jin stares at her, completely dumbfounded as she continues to laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" He says, grinding his teeth, "I wasn't the only one who got drunk!"

"Not that," She says between laughs, "So, which guy was it? The guy that made you walk like that?"

The moment she finishes her sentence, she starts to laugh loud enough to attract attention from other tables. Jin groans even louder, continuously banging his head on the table. 

Ignoring their antics, I stare at the other students. Daiki in particular catches my attention. His frail, skeletal hands quiver as he grasps the cup in his hand, sending little droplets of tea flying across the table. He must have forgotten to wear his contacts that day, his eyes now a hazel colour, shrouded by immense dark circles.

_Lord knows how many drugs he's taken in the last few hours._

_Wait, does he have drugs?_

Aftera while, Kohi brings us out an immense plate of food. Two sizeable pieces of french toast, drizzled with some kind of sweet syrup, and topped off with blueberries and raspberries. It almost looks too pretty to eat, but if Kohi put in the effort, might as well indulge. 

It's wonderful. The sweet taste of cinnamon and fruit dances across my tongue, I could almost eat it forever. Within minutes the plates are clean, and diligently taken away by Ayana. 

A mild chatter forms around the room, until Monokuma marches in, a megaphone in hand.

"Alright, ya sons of bastards!" He shrieks, "Which one of you little shits made a mess in the bar last night? Fess up, fess up!" 

"You mean the seance we had?" Aki says, stroking Cthulhu as he moves across the table, "That was a little messy."

"It was a night out," Yashira grunts, "Not a damn exorcism."

"Whatever the _fuck_ you had, you've made a right shithole of my beautiful university!" The bear says, taking a handkerchief and dabbing non-existent tears from his non-existent eyes, "What a tragedy! My poor baby!"

"Did we do something?" Kohi says, clutching his satchel in fear. 

"Too right ya bleedin' did!" Monokuma yells, his eye flashing red, "You trashed the whole damn place! And you know what that means, _punishment!"_

A series of gasps spread across the group.

"Punishment?" Haruka goes white with shock, "What are you doing to do to us?"

"You're gonna kill us all just because of a little trash?" Ayana raises an eyebrow, "Dumb."

"To hell with the lot of ya!" Monokuma yells, stomping his feet, "It's time for the almighty Spears of Doom and Death, Etc, to descend from the heavens and _shank you-"_

"No."

We all turn to the source of the noise to see Mamo. His expression is wary, though he seems relatively confident in his speech. His fists are lightly clenched as he steps towards Monokuma.

"Beg ya pardon, lad?" Monokuma says.

"I said no," Mamo says, moving his hair out of his eyes. The moment Monokuma meets his stare, his expression turns terrified, "Uh, I-I mean, I just wanted to-"

"Speak up then!" Monokuma says. Mamo recoils, hiding his face in his arms.

"It's just th-that nowhere in the rules does it say littering is banned. O-only from what I remember though!" He says. His eyes start to well with tears.

"Mamo, dear, are you insane?" Shiro yells profusely, grabbing ahold of his wrist. 

"Where does it say that I can't do that then, boy?" Monokuma says.

"That's right," Tory says, her eyes wide, "I just checked. The rules never state we can't litter."

"What the hell are you gettin' at, mate?" Monokuma frowns. 

"I-It would be unfair to punish us for a rule we didn't know existed, correct? P-please don't hurt me..." Mamo says, gently freeing himself from Shiro's grip. 

The bear is silent, staring directly at the ground, until every handbook pings simultaneously with a new notification.

' _Principal Monokuma has added a new rule! Tap to view."_  
 _'Rule 11: Littering is not permitted.'_  
 _'Rule 12: Purposefully destroying university property, unless given explicit permission by Prinicpal Monokuma, is punishable by death.'_

The bear growls, flashing his sharp dagger teeth, "You got lucky this time, but you'd better go there and clean it up right this minute. Or it'll be the death of ya!"

Before any more questions can be asked, he whisks away without another word.

My heart thumps against my ribs. _That could've been the end._

Mamo's eyes are still wide with fear, and he's practically shaking. He can barely utter a single sound. 

"Mamo," Mitsuharu declares, "That was very observant of you. Well done."

"Huh?" He says, turning to him.

Shiro smiles, lightly touching Mamo's shoulders, "You're a star! What a dashing young man..."

"If it weren't for you," Aki says, the snails now making their way to her head, "We would have all perished to the underworld!"

"R-really?" He says, completely delirious. 

A few of us nod. 

A huge smile spreads across his face, his cheeks glowing a soft peach colour, "Thank you!" 

That smile could light up a whole street. 

"We should probably head to the Entertainment building and clear up." Tory sighs, "We'll just have to hope the others tag along."

"Isn't that a bit dangerous?" Daiki says, "Not that I care or anything."

"Monokuma never mentioned that they would be killed, we should let them sleep," Tory says, "For now, let's all head there."

* * *

The walk to the Entertainment building is completely silent, apart from Aki murmuring to herself the whole time. Haruka and Jin keep looking at me nervously, though it's comforting to know they look to me rather than the others. 

Eventually, we walk through the doors of the entertainment building and up to the bar.

The scene in front of us is a mess. Barstools are tipped over, some even halfway across the room, and toilet paper lines almost every surface. A pool of beer lies on top of the bar. 

"Did we really do all that?" I ask, taken slightly off guard. I remember fun, but not complete chaos.

Kuroko appears from behind us all, completely perplexed. All eyes turn to her. 

"Where were you?" Mitsuharu asks. 

She smiles, "I was asleep. Why? Did you need me?"

"Where are the others?" Kohi says, "We need to clean the bar or we'll be punished."

"Oh?" She tilts her head, her glasses almost falling off her face, "Dear me, that sounds like a bit of a pickle."

"It's not a fuckin' pickle," Yashira says, "It's the whole damn burger." 

Immediately, we begin to clear the bar room. Mopping up spillages with paper towels, scraping up bits of old peanuts, putting things back in order. I crouch down on the floor, scavenging for any rogue bits of pretzel or stray crumbs. Despite the mundane nature of the task, I feel a strange sense of tension lingering in the air. Anything could pop out at any moment, I tell myself, though it's obviously all stupid. A few others try to talk to me, but their words go straight through my head. I can't think. I can't speak. I can barely move.

  
"Kihona?"

A voice snaps me out of my daze, and I turn to see Mitsuharu looming over me like a phantom. His eyes pierce my chest. 

"Huh?" I say, taken off guard.

"Someone appears to have thrown up on the carpet," He says, scratching under his sleeve, "There's disinfectant in the third cupboard on the left. Go get it."

His curt language makes me want to stay still to piss him off, but I decide it's better to obey him for now. I nod, and leave the bar with haste.

_Third cupboard on the left._

I head down the corridor as directed, and try to seek out the third cupboard.

The air feels heavy. Seconds feel like hours, days even. Like the world is in slow-motion. Nerves bubble in me, and I can't figure out why. 

_Amai, Minato and Charlotte are missing._

_They could be anywhere._

Everyone turned up at breakfast yesterday. What could possibly drive them to sleep in? 

_Stop thinking, Kihona. You're worrying yourself._

Cupboard one, cupboard two, they all pass by me like slugs. I just want this god awful cleanup to end. 

Cupboard three. 

The plain oak door stares me dead in the face, judging me, mocking me. As if to say, ' _You're too scared to open a cupboard.'_ And it's right.

_Don't be so stupid. Just get the cleaner._

Holding my handbook against the sensor, the 'beep' noises sends a chill through me. 

Without thinking for another second, I slam my hand onto the handle. I hesitate for a moment, before I slowly pull down.

_Click!_

Slowly, gradually, I pull the door open, the light slowly revealing the scene inside.

And there it lies.

Minato's cold, dead body.

His corpse is crammed into the storage cupboard, wedged between cleaning supplies. His limbs are twisted and distorted, as if they've been snapped right in half. A huge, gaping wound has formed on his head, dry blood caked onto his lifeless, blue lips. 

I'm silent for a moment, allowing the sight to register, and then I feel it burning in my throat.

A scream. 

**16 STUDENTS REMAIN...**


	11. Chapter One - 5: Investigation of Injustice

Light suddenly hits my eyes, as I slowly regain vision. All I see is the fuzzy, white ceiling, and strange blobs that most likely are the other students.

"Kihona."

The world becomes clear again, and I'm greeted with Haruka on top of me. She looks petrified, all the colour drained from her face.

It all comes back to me at once. The cupboard, Minato's body, the scream. It's happening. Someone's dead.

I jolt up in fright, hoping that it was all a sick vision. But, alas, Minato's corpse is still lying exactly as I'd found it. Cold. Dead. Distorted.

"Oh my god!" I cry, desperately trying to scramble away from the scene, but Haruka grabs my arm.

"I'm sorry, Kihona."

There's no more light in her eyes. Just grey. A blank, hollow stare.

Tory appears in front of me, her expression no different to Haruka's, "You weren't unconscious for long. I'm sorry you had to discover this tragedy."

Before I can respond, the loudspeaker screeches to life, Monokuma's voice coming into earshot, "A body has been discovered! You will now receive an allotted time of three hours to gather evidence for a class trial! Find the killer! Bring justice! Happy investigatin'!"

And then silence.

Charlotte and Amai appear to have arrived, staring in disbelief at the corpse. 

"Class trial?" Kohi says, clutching the teddy bear on his bag, "What does that mean?"

As soon as he says this, each handbook pings, sending a shot of anxiety through my heart.

_'Principal Monokuma has added a new section: Class Trials. Tap to view.'_

_'-After three or more students - not including the killer - discover a corpse, a body discovery announcement will play_

_-You have an allotted time of 3 hours to gather evidence and testimonies that will be used during Class Trials. Principal Monokuma has the right to shorten this time whenever he pleases._

_-The Monokuma File will provide basic evidence, such as the time of death, cause of death, and other vital information._

_-If a student kills more than two of their peers, they will immediately be executed._

_-Failure to participate in a Class Trial will result in punishment._

_-During the Class Trial, it is up to you to use evidence gathered in investigations to find the perpetrator(s), otherwise known as 'The Blackened'_

_-If you correctly vote for The Blackened, they will be executed and the remaining students will continue the semester._

_-If you pick incorrectly, The Blackened will leave this university, therefore graduating. The remaining students will be executed_

_-Principal Monokuma cannot interfere with any Class Trials, nor can he commit murder himself.'_

Everything hits me. There's even more danger than we thought. 

_Someone in this room is the killer. And if we don't find them, we all die._

It feels like too much. I prepare to run, never look back and hide in my room until this sick charade ends.

"Jesus fuck," Yashira utters, her voice left dry. 

"He's really dead?" Mamo says, tearing up, "It can't be."

"He's dead," Mitsuharu says. 

Kuroko dashes into the cupboard, grabbing a bucket and promptly vomiting into it. Her face is practically green, her head bent over the bucket as she wretches uncontrollably.

Haruka grabs my hand suddenly, pulling it close to her chest. Tears brewing in her eyes, she looks at me longingly.

"We're not going to die, are we?" She says, voice wavering. My lack of response causes her to burst into tears, burying her face in my shoulder.

Jin stands nearby, staring at Haruka with a gloomy expression. Though he can't seem to find the words to say. 

"We're screwed!" Haruka wails, hugging me tightly. Her sudden affection surprises me, and I feel all I can do is awkwardly pat her head.

Yet her emotion is understandable.

"We're not screwed yet," I say, though I don't believe it, "We need to gather evidence. And we'll find Minato's killer."

She looks up at me, her face red, "You promise, right?"

I nod.

She stands up, brushing off her shirt and staring back at Jin, "That's to both of you. You both promise we'll find the killer?"

Jin nods as well, a small tear rolling down his cheek. 

"Fucking hell," Kaso groans, kicking the wall next to him, "You three piss the fuck outa me."

Aki stares at the floor, her snails slowly moving across her palm, "We're _doomed._ Cthulhu says so."

"Don't say that!" Kuroko cries, pulling her head out of the bucket, "Please have mercy, Sir Cthulhu."

"He says he shall consider," Aki grins, "He will consult Lucifer first."

Amongst all the commotion, I hear my name called and I turn to see Tory.

"I do apologise. This must be very tough for you, but I was hoping you would be able to aid in the investigation."

I sniff, caught slightly off guard by her remark. What does she see in me to trust me with investigating a murder?

"I'm sorry to launch this on you so suddenly," She continues, straightening her glasses and lowering her voice to a whisper, "The others here are lacking in intelligence, for a crime scene at least. What do you say?"

Before I can think, the dreaded words leave my mouth, "I'll do it. For Minato."

_Wow, now everyone is relying on you._

Though no one is particularly paying attention to me, I feel as if their eyes are staring me down. Watching me like hawks. Tory's once kind gaze seems so much more menacing, like she's warning me to not make a mistake.

_The lives of our classmates are in my hands._

_I can't let them slip through my fingers._

* * *

Tory slowly opens the door to the cupboard, as I feel my heart start to thump at a more rapid pace. One, two, five beats at a time, I swear I feel my pulse stop for a moment.

I can't bear to look at Minato's body. So carelessly shoved into the tightest nook of a dirty old storage cupboard. The smell of mildew and damp fills my nose, and I gag. 

Stepping towards him, Tory places a hand on Minato's head and shudders, "He's completely cold."

"Been dead for a few hours, I guess," A voice says from nowhere, and I turn to see Mitsuharu lingering. 

"And how do you know that?" I say, slightly more mean-spirited than intended.

He glares at me, raising a confused eyebrow before flicking on his handbook. The screen glows with a fairly hearty description of the death. Time, cause, all the basics we'd never uncover ourselves.

"Time of death was 5 AM," He says coldly, "I presume you can't read?"

I feel my hand twitch in anger, but I repress it, "You don't have to be so-"

"So he's been dead since 5 AM," He says, turning to Tory for answers, "Blunt force trauma. Struck with a heavy object, probably suffered a slow death."

"Correct," She nods, "This wound seems fairly old, perhaps more than three hours."

I glance at Minato's arm, contorted into such a strange way.

"That arm," I say, "It has to be broken. Maybe the killer tried to shove him in here quickly to cover something up?"

Mitsuharu taps his chin, as if he's deep in thought, but before he can say anything, a loud cry comes from inside the bar.

"Shit! Fucking shit!" 

Yashira stands in the doorway of the bar, clutching her foot in agony, "What the fuck was that?"

"Why aren't you wearing shoes?" Ayana sighs, playing with her hair, "That's kinda dumb."

Amai smirks, "You get what you deserve, really."

"Do I look like I give a fuck about shoes?" She snaps, hopping around frantically, "Help me, for fuck's sake. There's something in my god damn foot!"

Mamo races over, ducking down to analyse her feet, "I-It's something sharp. You should head down to the infirmary and get some tweezers."

"Tweezers?" Yashira yells, kicking Mamo in the face, "I need surgery! What if this has someone's piss on it? Or jizz? Oh god, please not jizz."

"I-it's probably fine!" Mamo says, rubbing his now slightly red nose, "W-will someone take her down?"

Kohi attempts to step forward, but Charlotte abruptly cuts him off, storming towards her and holding out her hand.

"Besties?" She winks. Yashira seems perplexed, but takes her hand, limping away at a snail's pace.

"What was all that about?" Daiki says, folding his arms.

"What's jizz?" Aki says, scratching under her eyepatch, "Is it goop? Like a snail trail or squirrel juice?"

Kaso smirks, "Dick ju-"

"It's candy," Ayana says quickly, smiling at Aki, "Tasty candy."

I take a deep sigh and turn back to the cupboard. Mitsuharu seems to be bent over something, completely focused on...what?

"What're you looking at?" I ask, trying to peer over his shoulders. 

"I'm looking at this," He adds, not once turning to look at me, "Please go away, I need to focus."

I clench my fists, "Look, asshole, you don't need to boss me around everywhere. Just because you're some brain-whizz genius doesn't give you the right to-"

"Someone died," He says bluntly, "Get over yourself. You're awfully entitled considering the circumstances."

My heart aches suddenly, as I feel a sharp pain surging all the way through me. The words are practically drowned by my anger, confusion, and painful realisation. He's right, but I don't feel like admitting he's right.

"You." 

A voice startles me from behind. I whirl around, greeted by Ayana, standing almost suggestively with the trash key between her fingers.

"You should come down to the furnace," She says curtly, gesturing to Kuroko, "She's coming too, so keep her busy."

I look over to Kuroko, who seems to be staring blankly at the ceiling. She says nothing, eyes perfectly transfixed on one of the panels as she sways delicately from side to side.

Aki sits close by her, also swaying in the same motion, though her eyes are turned to the floor.

"Can I come?" Kohi says, peering around Ayana's shoulder, "I'd like to, but you don't have to take me."

She nods, turning back to Kuroko, "Hey, come on. Make yourself useful."

  
The four of us head through the corridor. I can't help but feel the weight of the surroundings. Like the ground is collapsing beneath me. We head down the stairs and out into the open air, and yet I still feel so claustrophobic. The wastelands of Lorem still surround me, the silence deafening, and the landscape completely dirtied by dust. Every noise seems to stretch for miles, echoes bouncing off the abyss.

Ayana leads us round to the furnace, as my eyes glaze over that same pile of rubble from earlier. Something about it sends my brain whizzing around, desperately trying to decode what on earth happened here. The furnace area isn't particularly remarkable, a small area of the ground sectioned off by a wall only just tall enough to reach my head. Though the furnace itself is huge, like some industrial machinery taken straight from a factory, the space inside is rather small and could likely only fit a singular trash bag. 

"Hey, everyone, come look," Kohi says, dashing towards the furnace, the door slightly ajar. He picks up a small chunk of wood, half charred and half dyed red. Blood red.

I feel vomit forming in my throat, but I swallow any kind of urge to throw up, "What do you think that is?"

Ayana takes it from him, noticeably more gently than she would from the other students, and looks at it closely, "Murder weapon?" 

"Uh," Kuroko mumbles, staring at the floor, "Ayana, don't you have the trash key? You're the only one who can burn things."

_No matter how many times Kuroko speaks again, that's probably the smartest thing she'll ever say._

I notice Ayana's eyebrow twitch, a reflex so small the others probably didn't notice. She doesn't say a word, prompting Kuroko to speak further. 

"Unless," She says, returning to that usual clueless tone, "Unless it was an alien? Or a demon? Or a snail?"

_Great. All undone in less than 10 seconds._

Ayana sighs, tossing the wood back to Kohi, "I dropped the key last night after leaving the bar, apparently. Shiro said he'd found it around here and gave it to me."

_Shiro had the key. But why would Shiro need to be around the furnace?_ I can practically feel the clock arms in my mind ticking as if it's about to explode. 

"Do you remember dropping it?" I ask, not sure whether my tone is too harsh.

Ayana shakes her head, "Had no idea I'd lost it until Shiro found me."

"Did you really not think?" Kohi says, his eyes widening as he does, "Oh god, that sounded mean. But, like, did you not think it was suspicious Shiro was around the furnace after Minato was found?" 

Ayana's expression is blank, as if none of the words have registered in her brain yet. She cocks her head, her face forming that same, clueless puppy look that Kuroko seems to project so well.

"Was I supposed to?" She says.

"It's kind of a given that if someone just brings you a key you never knew you lost, it should be suspicious," I say, "I mean, it's not like the furnace is really close to any of the buildings. Why would Shiro be so out of the way?"

"Oh," Ayana says, staring at the wood in her hands, "Yeah, whatever, I knew that." 

Kuroko places a hand on her shoulder, smile gleaming. Though a smile so deeply rooted in positivity should calm me down, it seems too out of place. Like she's ignorant to everything going on. 

_Maybe her head is more pleasing than reality._

"We should get back to the others," I declare, "Maybe we can judge if it's the murder weapon or not."

"Isn't a block of wood a bit light?" Kuroko says, playing with her tie, "Too light to cause blunt force trauma."

"Looks like it's been half burnt, though," Kohi says, "But why?" 

"Let's talk about this inside," I say again, walking towards the back door of the entertainment building, "Don't want to split up too much."  
  


* * *

The four of us arrive back in the building, after an arduous journey of silence. Kohi had occasionally mumbled something, though not generating any form of response. We each split off our separate ways and, for once, I know exactly who I want to speak to.

"Hey, Tory," I say, waving in her general direction, "Found something useful."

She turns to me and smiles, pushing her way through little clusters of people. I pass her the chunk of wood, shuddering as my fingers graze the bloodied end. 

"I see," She says, lowering her glasses to get a better look, "You found this where?"

"At the furnace," I say, "The door was open slightly, looks like they tried to shove something in there and it didn't quite fit."

Tory traces her finger along the burnt end, little chips crumbling on the floor under the weight of her skin, slowly making her way down to the bloodied end. Shiny, deep mahogany that had likely been fairly sturdy before, perhaps enough to hold the weight of a full person.

"The barstool," Tory announces after an aching silence, "Daiki said there was one missing, this has to be it."

"But why the blood?" I say, though it's more of a vocalised thought than a question.

"A barstool could easily be the fatal blow if it's hard enough," Tory suggests, "Reckon if the killer had enough power in their arms, it could deal a lot of damage."

My mind instantly flashes to Kaso, with those broad shoulders and strength that could break an entire road. What difficulty would he have with picking up a barstool? 

"Did you say the door was open?" A familiar voice asks, and I turn to see Haruka. Her crying seems to have stopped, though the cloudy streams of black mascara still cling to her under-eyes, flowing down her cheeks like a web. 

I smile at her, "Uh, yeah."

She taps her chin thoughtfully, before furiously rubbing her temples, "Hm. Can the furnace really fit a whole barstool in there? Like, maybe the leg got caught in the door and burnt off?"

_Now I wish we had a notes section on the handbooks_

"It's something to note," Tory says.

I turn to Haruka, "Hey, where's Jin?"

She looks up at me, lost in my words for a moment, "Oh, right! He's talking to Ayana, I think."

"Well, suppose anything can happen there," I say with a shrug.

Haruka's face saddens, her lip pouting, "Yana's pretty. Do you think he'll stop hanging with us 'cuz of her?"

"Don't be silly," I smile at her, placing a hand on her shoulder, "He can talk to other people if he wants, but I'm sure we're still friends."

Before Haruka can say anything, another voice interrupts me from across the hall. Nasally and whiny like that of a child, but shaky. 

"Shiny line! Shiny line!"

To no surprise, it's Aki, pointing wide-eyed at a spot on the floor. She seems as enthused as ever, like she's just discovered some historical artefact.

"What the fuck is a shiny line?" Daiki says, gnawing on his bottom lip.

"A line that's shiny, maybe?" Kuroko says, "I mean, that's just my personal observation, I'm up for debate!"

Aki grumbles, "Stop talking and look at my shiny line!"

I want to step forward, but I feel Kaso's powerful grip shove me out of of his way as I almost lose balance. 

"Huh," He grunts, kneeling down, "Sniff the floor."

"What?" Aki asks, puzzled, "I'm not going to sniff my best friend, that's weird."

"The fucking smear, crazy bitch!" He says, growling slightly, "Is the smear your best friend or what?"

I don't have enough time to absorb Aki's reply before Kaso grabs a tuft of her hair tightly in his fists, pushing her face toward the ground. She cries out in pain, her tiny legs flailing as she tries to free herself from his grip, but to no avail.

"Smell it now, why don't ya?" He grins, his hold on her still firm.

"Kaso, stop it!" Kohi cries out, seeming like he wants to step forward despite the quivering of his lip. 

"Oh my god," Shiro says, exasperated, "You'll hurt her, don't let her precious face be ruined!"

Desperate cries ring through the room, piercing my skull. I'd let the panic get ahold of me and say something, but my splitting headache holds me back.

Before anyone can step in, the heavy thunking of combat boots comes hammering down the hallway, revealing Yashira's now enthused face as Charlotte desperately tries to keep up. Yashira throws a kick at Kaso's chin, sending him flying backwards before scooping Aki into her arms.

"What the fuck're you doing?" Yashira hisses at Kaso, "Holdin' her hostage? Why the fuck?"

Kaso's lip curls into that same smirk he seems to wear so well as he watches Aki wipe the blood running from her nostril.

"Meh, just bored," He shrugs, smile fading, "And also wanted to make a point."

He stands up to his full height, narrowing his eyes as he scans us. 

"Monster," Shiro mutters, "What point?"

"What did it smell like, Aki?" Kaso turns to Aki, her face buried under Yashira's chin. 

Her one eye glares at him through the shadow of her hair, "I smelt oranges. Like orange things. Yeah."

Mitsuharu ducks down to the floor, sniffing where Aki had once been, "She means bleach."

"I didn't mean bleach!" Aki growls, "It smells like oranges."

"Orange flavoured bleach?" Jin mumbles.

"I'm on laundry," Mitsuharu says, "I'll go check the baskets. Everyone, stay here."

We all nod simultaneously, watching him dart down the corridor.

The next few hours slip by me like they were nothing, like a plastic bag being blown by full force winds. Insignificant, and I barely catch a glimpse of them before they're gone in an instant. Nothing else of any note has been found in that time, mostly just people turning the place upside down in some desperate attempt to find evidence. But before I can think any harder, an announcement plays over the loudspeaker. Feedback blares, a few people covering their ears to avoid shattering their eardrums. Something else I thought I'd be used to.

"Eyup!" Monokuma yells, "The three hours is up! Doesn't time fly? Get yer arses down to the bus stop and wait for transportation! Safe travels!"  
The mic abruptly cuts off, and we're once again left in silence. A few people groan though I can't be bothered to distinguish who is who. 

This is it.


	12. Chapter One - 6: Under Oath

Immediately, Tory heads off without a word, her stare directed straight in front of her. Mamo and a few others follow, slowly trailing behind each other as they fumble out of the room. I take one last glance behind me. Mitsuharu still hasn't arrived back. Lord knows what he could be doing. Will his life be at risk if I leave him behind? Haruka and Jin start to leave and I feel as though I'm left behind.

_I can't wait for him to finish._

I dash towards the group, trying not to slip out of my shoes. The group surrounding me should comfort me, like a fleshy heated blanket, but instead, they feel like a giant metal clamp. Crushing me from either side, engulfing me in their tension. _Someone here is a killer. They could be standing right next to me._

* * *

Waiting by a dusty old sidewalk in less than palatable weather should be more of an annoyance, but I can't help feeling like we're approaching death. The cold wind wraps around us, trapping us together in a claustrophobic heap. Mitsuharu arrives on his own, taking his time to join us. But the wait isn't long as a relatively small, rusted red bus comes clunking around a turning. It looks like it could fall apart any minute, as if it's held together by bubblegum. The windows are half-broken, the paint is completely worn and rusted with age and the engine cries out for help. Eventually, it stops beside us and the doors open with a shrill creak. 

_Do we actually have to get on?_

Aki bounces on ahead, running straight to the back of the bus. Kuroko and Amai shortly follow as we begin to file in one by one. I step up, taking as much care as I can not to break the old thing. But something peculiar piques my interest. Something sat shrouded by the shadows. Or someone. A tall, skinny looking man sits behind the wheel, scraggly black hair falling so low, I can't even begin to make out his eyes. Or whether he has eyes at all. A captain-style hat is perched on top of his head, managing to tame some of those wild locks, and he seems to be wearing a black face mask. He wears a simple shirt and tie that looks to be in immaculate condition. He doesn't say a word, his eyes transfixed on the steering wheel. 

_But why is he here? What purpose does he serve other than to drive us around?_

  
I look at him, and though I can't see his eyes, I can feel his gaze on me. Something cold burns inside me, and I leave him without another word. Most seats seem to be fully taken up, and I don't particularly favour the idea of standing alone at risk of toppling over. Though one space catches my eye. Kaso sits towards the front, resting his legs on what should be my empty space. He wears that same smug luck I'm far too sick of by now, staring at me as if to say _'Dare you to try and move my legs.'_

Taking a deep sigh, I step towards him and prepare myself for failure, "Kaso, would you please move off the seat?"

He grins, "What, my legs? They're glued on, you'll have to grab 'em and unhinge 'em."

"Don't be immature," I scowl, his voice enough to irritate me alone, "We could die in an hour, just let me sit down."

"I said grab 'em," He bites his lip. I sigh, and grab ahold of his ankles, trying to wedge him off the seat. He doesn't budge at first but eventually complies and I sit down in his place.

Almost as soon as I've sat down, he plonks his legs onto my lap, the sheer weight of them enough to probably knock me out.

"Lookin' forward to gettin' to know you, Kihona."

The drive couldn't have been longer than 10 minutes, as the bus hisses to a stop. I swear I hear the parts shriek as they move, but I can't worry about something so insignificant. As each student begins to file off, I briefly stop to eye the bus driver again. He doesn't look at me, his head stuck in place like he's weighed down by cement.

I smile, "Thank you."

No response. Not even a breath from his lips. 

Shrugging, I step off the bus, trying my best to not stumble as I go.

The courtyard is rich with heavy air as I try my best to maintain my composure. Inhale, exhale, yet the rhythmic patterns of my breathing do no favours in calming me down. Nerves prickle my stomach, bubbling up as they linger on my tongue, desperate to be released. Each stare I give the other students only deepens the feeling, not knowing what they could possibly be thinking. But yet what pains me the most is that one of those stares could belong to a ruthless murderer. Minato flashes back into my mind for a split second, sending a sudden chill down my spine, ringing through my legs. His broken limbs, blood trickling down his forehead. And someone here murdered him.

No, I can't think like this. 

I scan the courtyard, desperately searching for any kind of distraction. The surrounding walls appear to be an off-white brick, ivy hanging from every crevice. The scent of damp and roses mingle with each other, creating an unusual sensation in my nostrils. A small fountain resides in the middle, though the light trickling of crystal blue waters doesn't ease my mind in the slightest.

Haruka looks at me, her eyes shrouded in fear. Uncertainty, pondering on what's next for us.  
Jin doesn't seem to feel much different, his eyes darting back and forth between students, trying to analyse their own movements. Every slight twitch of their muscles, every millimetre they move their fingers.

I want to say something to them, to try and reassure them everything will be okay, but I just can't bear to force the words off my lips. My throat feels too clogged with emotions, choked tears and pent up anxiety, it would barely form a distinguishable sentence.

Before I can even make a noise, the loudspeaker hanging from the walls screeches, vibrating through the courtyard.

"Glad you could all make it," Monokuma yells, his cheery tone eerily unfitting, "Well, apart from that Minato lad, he's twelve feet under!" 

No one laughs, the only noise the occasional sigh or whimpering.

The bear groans, "Oh well, I'm not just 'ere for my stand-up. I'm 'ere to announce that you'd better clear the area before you get sucked up by the floor robots!" 

"Floor robots?" Tory says.

"Don't mind me, just move behind the bloody tape!" He screams.

I stare at the floor, the yellow and black striped tape having slipped my mind the entire time I've been here. As the bear demands, I edge behind it, pressing my back against the cold brick wall. 

Almost as soon as I do, the fountain slowly drops into the ground, opening to reveal a grand stairwell into the underground.

"What the fuck?" Daiki yells, "This place had an underground base and we never even knew?"

"That's the least of your worries right now," Kuroko says softly, still smiling.

"Precisely!" Monokuma says.

Can he really hear everything we do from all the way up there? Is there even an 'up there'? Who's controlling him?

Such thoughts can't clog my judgement. I have to get through this trial.

In an orderly manner, we all file down the staircase, entering a long hallway. Metal walls stretch for meters ahead, giving off the same vibe as an under-developed train station or strange submarine. It doesn't feel right, nor does it comfort me.

The metal flooring clangs beneath my heels, like the hammering of hail against a tin roof. My stare is focused on the floor, and it feels like we're walking for hours. Until we reach the trial room.

A huge set of red double doors lie in front of us, towering over us. Lingering. Of course, they're only doors, yet the mere sight of them sets a blizzard off in my body. My heart thumps against my ribs, its rhythm never consistent, quickening almost as soon as it slows.

"Hey, let us in!" Yashira yells, thrashing her legs at the door, barely making a dent.

"There's a handle right there," Kohi says, sighing.

"I don't wanna go in," Aki mumbles, "What if there's a giant octopus monster? Not the octopus monster!"

"It's okay, Aki," Kuroko says, her smile glowing, "Cthulhu and Lucifer are safe in your hands. We will protect you."

"Oh my god," Amai says, burying her face in her palms, "Aren't you supposed to be my bestie? Or are you abandoning me for that freak?"

"Sorry," Kuroko says meekly, shuffling over to Amai. I catch a brief glimpse of her reaching out to Aki's hand, petting each snail with caution. 

"Are you people brain dead?" Kaso says, shoving his way through the crowd. He grabs onto the golden handles, tugging them down. Stop going so quick. I'm not ready.

I can't do this.

The sudden truck of panic slams straight into me, almost knocking me off my feet. 

These doors lead to death.

But before I can cry out, retaliate, beg for this all to be over, Kaso throws open the doors with a dramatic whoosh. 

This can't be a courtroom.

The walls curve around into a circular shape, almost all of it paned with glass, allowing us to see out into the ocean. An occasional fish rears its head out from the murky waters, slamming against the glass before swimming away like nothing happened. The rest of the walls are a pearly white marble, carved into with sculptures and strange languages I can't even begin to translate. Four marble pillars stand proud at each edge of the room and daylight shines through a grand glass dome.   
In the middle is a circular arrangement of podiums, seventeen of them all in perfect view of one another. 

"How exquisite," Shiro exclaims, his eyes twinkling with delight, "This looks just like my home dining room."

"Your dining room is in the ocean?" Daiki frowns.

His parents are filthy rich, it's not out of the question.

"Like it?" A voice appears from nowhere, and we turn to see Monokuma seated on a marble throne, "Well, 'ave fun because you're stuck 'ere until you find the stab master!"

"This isn't a ballroom," Ayana glares at Monokuma, her eyes sharp like lasers, "This is a courtroom. Are you taking this seriously at all?"

"Are you?" Mitsuharu folds his arms, "I mean, you're bringing up something so insignificant while our lives are on the line."

I watch as Ayana grits her teeth, desperate to retaliate as Kaso makes some sort of hissing noise in hilarity. 

"The boy has a point and all!" Monokuma grins, eyes gleaming as he brandishes his claws, "After all, you might die! Or something else, maybe. Can't be fucked thinking."

Each podium has a small plaque, plated gold, nailed to it, engraved with tiny lettering to form our names. It doesn't even need to register in my brain, as I immediately take my place next to Yashira and Jin.

"Righty-o!" Monokuma quips, standing up on his throne, "Since some of y'all are a bit messed in the head, I'll run through the rules real quick. You've been faced with the death of a classmate, dear lord! But luckily, our saviour Monokuma sweeps in to save the day and gives you some investigation time. You need to use the info gathered to line up suspects and come to a deathly conclusion. If you pick right, congrats, you get to go free and the killer is promptly executed. However, if you pick wrong, all of ya get it. Capiche?"

I feel like the reality hasn't quite sunk in, despite the anxiety raging in me. I could die in the next few hours. We could all die. Either way, blood will be spilt. 

A size-accurate portrait of Minato has been erected in his place, red pixels painted across his face to form an 'X'. 

"Jesus," Charlotte says, her words empty and breathless.

"That's funny," Kaso grunts, "They've drawn PAC-Man and all. Totally morbid, dude."

"That's a photo of a dead man, freak! Not funny!" Yashira yells, slamming her fist onto the podium. 

"Look," Tory raises her voice, her tone sharp enough to cut through the noise, "Stop bitching. This is serious."

Mitsuharu nods, "Yeah, we need to get the trial over and done with."

I look over to Aki, who's turned away from the circle staring wistfully at the fish that swim by. Completely oblivious. I wish I could live in her head, watching the world go by with no idea of the horrors that lie beneath. Just stuck in some blissful world of ignorance. 

Turning back to the group, I watch them as they start to discuss.

"So," Kohi holds his hands to his chest, "What do we do?"

"Talk," Kuroko smiles, "We all have a nice cup of tea and let the killer come out in their own time! They just need to heal and reflect on their actions."

Charlotte raises an eyebrow, placing a hand on her hip, "What gives? Since when were you so sentimental?"

"What does that mean?" Kuroko looks at her, her glasses tilting off the bridge of her nose.

"That's not exactly important," I declare, watching as fifteen pairs of eyes turn on me, "We need to get this trial done. For Minato. For all of us."

"Inspirin' number," Kaso grins, "But shit. I don't give a fuck about this trial, man."

"Perhaps you should," Tory presses her broad hand to her temples, rubbing them furiously, "After all, if we lose, we all die."

"Presumin' I'm not the one who did it, though?" That same smug grin returns to his face, and I can feel the anger swelling in my gullet, "I mean if I'm the killer and you vote wrong then y'all will get it. And I'll get off scot-free."

_Asshole_.

"We'll find that out in due time," Shiro smirks, a smirk more endearing and flirtatious than Kaso, "For now, we're all suspects. Including me."

"God, the trust fund kid has a point!" Amai laughs, "Yeah, let's get on with this shit."

I remove my handbook from my breast pocket and the screen illuminates with the Monokuma File, "So, Minato died at around 5 AM from blunt force trauma, it says here."

"I suppose the best course of action is to establish some firm alibis," Mitsuharu says, "I left the bar much earlier than the others and went back to my dorm around 11."

Daiki glares at him, "How can we prove you didn't go back to murder his ass?"

There's one piece of evidence. One vital mechanic Monokuma practically handed to us for this trial. 

"I got it!" I exclaim suddenly, surprised by my sudden burst of emotion.

"Monokuma said there was a sleep tracker on the handbooks back when he first gave them to us," I say, bringing the app up on my handbook, "It's a little creepy, but basically the app tracks when you fall asleep and when you wake up."

"Sleeping apps don't work like that, right?" Charlotte seems confused, "You're sayin' someone is watching us? Or that thing can detect it?"

"I-I'm not sure how it works," I laugh nervously, scratching the back of my neck, "But if you can see on mine, it says I fell asleep around 4 AM and woke back up at the morning announcement."

"I see," Jin looks at his own handbook, "Well, I'll fess up now, didn't fall asleep until 6." 

"I went to bed at 12 sharp like a good girl," Kuroko smiles, "My mom would be so proud of me!"

The rest of the group puts forward their sleep times, leaving us with a smaller group of potential suspects.

"So," Tory begins, "We've narrowed down the list to Jin, Yashira, Ayana, Charlotte, Kaso, Daiki and Shiro. The rest of us were sleeping."

"Before we move on with that," Mitsuharu cuts through her sentences, "We should discuss the glaring issue. The murder weapon."

"Oh, right!" Haruka nods, "Sorry, I completely forgot about that."

"It was the chunk of wood we found at the furnace, right Ayana?" Kohi looks towards Ayana with hopeful eyes like glistening diamonds.

She frowns at him, "Why me? But yeah, we did find that."

"The door was slightly ajar when we found it," I say, "Looks like the killer got blood on it and tried to burn it."

"But it was just too big," Kuroko's face saddens, "And it didn't fit. Unless it's bigger on the inside? I think I've heard of something like that before."

"No, Kuroko," I sigh, "There's nothing like that involved. The rest of the stool was incinerated and the leg just fell off."

"I-is barstool really enough to k-kill someone with?" Mamo utters. The word kill seems desperate to be kept in, as if he could never say that word at all.

"I dunno," Jin shrugs, "It's kinda light but, with enough power, you could deal some damage."

Haruka prods her palm with one finger, lost in thought, "Kaso is pretty strong, he could do something with that."

Kaso scoffs, "Rude. Would use somethin' better. A barstool is lame."

Yashira looks at the floor for a moment, thinking, "Nah. I don't think it was that."

All eyes turn to her, waiting for her to speak again.

"You have something to add?" Tory asks, sliding her glasses up her nose.

Yashira shrugs, "S'pose so. Just thinkin' about what I stood on earlier."

Charlotte springs to attention and pulls a small zip-loc bag out of her jean pockets. She grins, holding it up to us.

"What's in it?" Aki says, "I can't see it. You're holding it in front of my cursed eye." 

"I took this out of Yashira's foot in the infirmary," Charlotte nods, opening the bag and pulling out...something.

It's small, likely no bigger than a grain of rice, with sharp, jagged edges and noticeable green colour. Perhaps a hard plastic. Or glass.

"Woah," Jin widens his eyes, "That was on the floor? Shit, must'a hurt."

"Hold on," Haruka raises his hand, standing on her very tiptoes, "That looks like those beer bottles in the bar. The ones stacked against the walls?"

I look at the floor, and then back up at the group, "Wait, so you think the bottle could also be a we-"

"Hold the fuck up!"

A voice cuts me off abruptly, and I turn to see Kaso pointing at me with his burly fingers. His brow is furrowed, giving him an intimidating gaze that could knock me off my feet. 

"Did I do something wrong?" I ask, holding my hands to my chest.

Kaso scoffs, "Are you fuckin' dumb? Just because there's glass on the floor. That don't mean that it's the fuckin' murder weapon."

I play with my fingers, desperately trying to stimulate my anxiety away, "Uh, Kaso. We never said it was definite. We just said it's a-"

"Did you not see me drop my bottle?" He growls, punching the podium with all his might, "I dropped it to get up in the whore's face. And it broke. So fuck you."

"But, Kaso-"

"No buts, huh," He narrows his sharp eyes, the blue colour now tainted by a fiery anger, "I ain't gonna back down from a fight. Try me!"

I feel the tension closing in on me, as if it's cheering me on for this verbal battle. Arguing with someone as vapid as Kaso won't be fun. 

But I have to try. For this trial. For everyone


	13. Chapter One -7: Poll the Jury

Kaso clenches his fists, "Look, you're jumpin' to conclusions like shit. You saw me drop my damn bottle and you know you're wrong." 

"But," I begin, "You know we have to consider every possibility. This is serious."

"Bull fucking shit!" He hisses, "You have no proof it's not my bottle."

Arguing with him is like talking to a brick wall. I have to find something to shut him down. As I listen to him ramble on and on, I try my best to refute him, but he keeps cutting back at me. Think back to that night. To where he first dropped the beer bottle. I can remember him slouching against the wall, screaming drunkenly at a defenceless Ayana. Shouting obscenities with a brown bottle of beer in his hands. 

Brown? 

"I have to stop you there!" I yell, cutting him off before he can throw any more curses my way. 

He doesn't falter, keeping that smug little smirk on his face, "What are you gonna say now? It fuckin' cloned itself?"

"No," I sigh, "The glass on the floor was green, and your bottle was brown. That doesn't add up, so it can't have been your bottle."

Kaso starts to chuckle before it escalates into roars of laughter and a pathetic clap, "Congrats. You're pretty damn observant."

"What do you mean?" Mitsuharu narrows his eyes, playing with his septum ring.

"Good on you, I guess," Kaso grins, "You can get on with it if you want."

Tory sighs, "You just wasted our time to test her? Don't talk from now on, unless you have something valuable to say."

Kaso throws his hands up, "Jeez, sorry Lady Aina."

She glares at him through the reflection of her glasses, before turning back to the group.

"Perhaps the bottle idea would make more sense," Tory continues, brushing off her suit as if nothing happened, "If Minato fell to the floor when he died, then it would make sense for there to be blood on the stool if he fell in the right place."

Kohi frowns, puffing his cheeks, "It's so annoying. Why does the carpet have to be red?"

"We should move on though," Shiro smirks, "Perhaps discussing-"

"Shiny line!" Aki yells, jumping up and down, "Shiny line time!"

"That rhymes!" Kuroko exclaims, glee filling her voice.

Mitsuharu nods, "Yes, the trail of bleach. I found some dirty towels in one of the laundry baskets. Covered in blood."

"Hold on," Haruka says, "Does that mean the killer couldn't get in the laundry room? Because if they could, they'd use the washing machines."

Mitsuharu nods, "You're correct. That slipped my mind, actually."

"So," Daiki chews on his nails, "The killer couldn't possibly be on laundry?"

"Unless they stole a key," Ayana says, glancing at the trash key in her pocket.

"N-no," Mamo utters, gulping as he talks, "I went around asking. N-nobody had lost a key or a handbook apart from you, Ayana. S-so I suppose that eliminates Haruka,

Charlotte, Mitsuharu and Daiki as suspects?" 

"Sweet!" Charlotte fist-bumps the air, "I'm outa here."

Monokuma promptly stands up from his throne, as if the words had triggered some sort of reaction, "Absolutely fuckin' not, missy!"

"Continuing my point," Mitsuharu says bluntly, trying to silence the commotion with his words, "I was saying the killer likely dragged Minato out of the bar and into the storage cupboard."

"And that would leave a trail of blood," Amai mumbles, adjusting the clips in her hair, "So they cleaned it up with bleach, huh?"

Tory nods and a small smile creeps onto Amai's lips.

_I feel as though we've solidified how the murder actually happened. Hit him with the beer bottle, dragged him to the cupboard, cleaned up the blood and burned the evidence._

_But who did it?_

* * *

"Maybe now we should talk about alibis?" Jin asks, "Dunno, just thought we should narrow down the suspect list."

"That makes sense," I nod, "So, the people without alibis so far are Ayana, Jin, Charlotte, Yashira, Kaso, Daiki and Shiro."

Daiki frowns at me, "Yeah, but neither me nor Charlotte could'a done it because we're on laundry. And I was with Kaso from when we left the bar."

Kaso nods, "Yeah, we were workin' out in the gym 'til, like, 5? I dunno, do I look like I keep track?"

"Yeah," Yashira adds, "I was with Charlie too. I couldn't've done it."

Charlotte winks at her, forming a smile on her face.

"Hey, Jin?" I ask, "Where were you? You said you weren't asleep until 6AM, right?"

He looks at me, flushing bright red, "I-I...uh."

"That's pretty suspect," Amai sneers, "He's hiding something, he doesn't wanna talk."

"N-no, I," He can barely string together a coherent sentence, the colour on his cheeks only strengthening.

"Jeez, are you the fuckin' killer?" Kaso widens his eyes, "Damn, didn't know you had it in ya."

"No way!" Jin protests, shaking his head furiously, "A-Ayana?"

All eyes land on Ayana, the mentioning of her name setting off some silent alarm in the room.

"Huh?" She raises an eyebrow, taking a moment to register everyone's faces.

"We were together, right?" Jin looks at her sheepishly, his gaze darting from her face and back to the floor, "You know. From like 4AM? Until, like, 6?"

Ayana stands practically bewildered for a few seconds, the dumb, blank expression on her face almost comedic, until her eyes light up with realisation, "You want me to tell them? God, you're a wimp."

"Sh-Shut up!" He whines, turning the opposite direction to her, "Just get on wi-"

"Jin and I were having rough sex in the garden," Ayana smirks, "For like, 2 hours."

The room falls into a state of chaos, some laughing hysterically, others trying to contain their shock, and the rest standing patiently. 

"Ha!" Yashira wheezes, "Did you top? How good is he?"

Ayana chuckles, her lipstick-caked lips spreading into a devious smile, "I switched, but he felt better with a rake up his ass. His first G-spot experience."

"A-Ayana!" Jin groans, hiding his face behind his arms, "We said we wouldn't talk about that again."

"What's a G-spot?" Kuroko cocks her head, "Actually, no, no, no. What's a rake?"

"Look, I dunno what the problem is here," Ayana shrugs, "We're adults. Adults have sex. Can we shut up and move on? We have alibis." 

"Fine," Tory sighs, "Shiro, what about you?"

Shiro is the only one left to interrogate. No one to back him up, no one instantly jumping in to take his side. Instead, he stays deathly quiet, exchanging nervous glances between each of us. Not daring to say anything.

"Sh-Shiro?" Mamo says quietly, "Y-You have an alibi, right?"

All eyes seem to have landed on Shiro, every ounce of our suspicions plastered on him. 

"Hm?" He smiles, "Oh, nothing. I was taking my nighttime walk."

"Okay," Haruka grins, "That settles it, he's not the killer, then."

"No, Haruka," I sigh sadly, "There's no proof to back it up. He could be lying."

Shiro's face wrinkles, offended by my words, "How dare you! A Rutherford would never lie, we keep our word until the day we die."

"But can you prove it?" Kohi frowns.

Shiro doesn't respond, picking at his nails nervously. His eyes glance over each of us, analysing our every move.

"Shiro, p-please say something," Mamo says, blinking rather rapidly.

"Yeah," Haruka grins, "There's no way you did this."

"Well," Shiro sighs, before clenching his fist and whamming it onto his podium. The noise sends a vibration through the floor, a sharp _bang_ ringing around the walls, "How the hell can I prove it? You'll just have to believe me! I would never hurt anyone under my good name."

"Then give us evidence," Tory reiterates.

Shiro sighs, clearly lost for words.

"It is a little suspicious you were walking around the furnace and found Ayana's key," Daiki says, hands in his pockets as if he's loitering rather than in a trial. 

"I simply found it when I was walking," He says, "Admittedly, I had no reason to be around the furnace, I just found myself there."

"Ayana," Mitsuharu begins, "Where do you keep the key?"

Ayana springs to attention, hastily whipping the key from her breast pocket, "Here. I'd notice if someone took it. They'd have to reach over my shoulder or something."

"And did Shiro come anywhere near you?" He continues.

Ayana folds her arms, "Not that I know of. I don't think he stole it. And I definitely never dropped it." 

"But did you ever take your jacket off?" I ask, "He might've been able to grab it then."

Shaking her head, Ayana continues, "Only when I was with Jin. God, was he watching? Jesus."

Shiro breathes a sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxing as a smile spreads across his face.

"So Shiro didn't do it," Tory says, "But don't be too thrilled, we're now completely out of suspects."

"Huh?" Yashira puts a hand on her hip, "Seriously? We're just done like that?"

"No!" Aki wails, covering her ears, "We're gonna die!"

I notice Kuroko's face turn woozy and distant, as if she'll fall over any second, "W-wah. I don't like that."

"Oh god!" Haruka cries, turning to me, "Do you really think it's over?"

"There has to be something, right?" Daiki says, "We can't just be screwed, someone in here killed Minato."

I can't bear to think while they're all yelling across the courtroom. The marble walls and high ceilings allow for a deafening echo bouncing off every corner, drilling into my ears and down my brain. 

"Hold on," I blurt out, and all eyes turn to me, "Minato suffered a slow death, it says here."

I bring up the Monokuma File, and as if I'm doubting myself, I read it over before showing the others. 

_'Time of death: 5 AM'_

_'Likely suffered a slow death.'_

"Minato definitely wasn't attacked at 5 AM," I say, "We already know that for sure. But what time was he attacked with the glass bottle?"

"Well," Jin shrugs, "How slow was this 'slow death? Are we talkin' half an hour, or like 3 hours?"

"It can't have been earlier than 2 AM," Charlotte says, "All of us were there as a group, the ones who weren't sleeping, I mean, and then we left around 2:30? But the killer and

Minato probably went back to the bar or somethin'."

"Oh," Mitsuharu says suddenly, "Yeah, I have something I don't think you know about."

Amai groans, "Ugh, you're always keeping shit from us! Quit being emo and get to the point."

"What did I do, again?" He frowns, taking out his own handbook, "Anyway, I found the lock to the cupboard door. The cupboard Minato died in."

I remember the moment I discovered his body, those arduous moments of anxiety and pain before I saw it. Blood.

But I have to shake my thoughts away and continue to listen to him.

"You have to get in with your handbook, right?" Kuroko says gently.

"Correct," Mitsuharu continues, "Thankfully, the scanner has a touchscreen interface, and it logs the time of each opening."

"Does that mean it logs whose handbook was used?" Haruka says, eyes wide with anticipation, "So, we can look on there and see who opened the cupboard!"

He chuckles, "I wish it were that simple. But no, it only logs the time the cupboard was opened. I made some notes in my handbook," he showing us a notepad with a full timetable of points the cupboard had been opened at. 

The pattern seems to be fairly regular at first, a few people opening it every hour or so. The first day we got here, while we were investigating the campus. It would make sense to open every cupboard. 

At the end is the only time it was opened today. The moment Minato's body was found. I shudder at the thought.

"I bring your attention to this middle section," Mitsuharu continues, gesturing with his finger, "Beginning around 3:04 AM, you'll notice something strange."

"I still can't see," Aki grumbles, turning away from us.

"The cupboard was opened many times within minutes of each other," He says, ignoring Aki's remarks.

"Yeah, what does that mean?" Ayana says, standing almost aggressively.

Tory taps her temples in thought, "The killer must've been opening and closing the door to get supplies. To clean up the scene."

"Oh, right," Haruka exclaims, "That makes total sense now. So maybe the murder happened at about 3 AM?"

"Precisely," Mitsuharu nods, sliding his handbook into his pocket as if he's concluding his hypothesis.

"Yeah, but how does that help?" Kaso grunts, "We already said we're fresh outa suspects."

"Jeez," Yashira groans, "I don't wanna die here! That's lame as fuck!"

"You mean you're more concerned about where you die than if you die?" Kohi says, eyes wide and astounded. 

I think, reflecting back on every moment of the trial. Every moment of the investigation, and even as far back as the night at the bar. Every little word that had been spoken by a fellow classmate, down to the slightest of inflections.

_Most people here were sleeping, right?_

_Daiki and Kaso were together from 10 PM to 5 AM._

_Yashira, Charlotte and Shiro were in the bar until 2, but they were still hanging out after that, I think._

_Ayana and Jin were together from 4 AM to 6 AM._

Alarm bells set off in my mind like the flick of a switch, sending a sudden spark of electricity through my body.

"Hold on," I say quickly, "We're not screwed yet. We still have something we need to address."

"Huh, like what?" Yashira says, tossing her bullets between each of her hands almost as carelessly as juggling them.

I look at Ayana, "Ayana, you said your alibi was from 4 AM right? But that doesn't cover the time of the attack."

Ayana's brow twitches suddenly, "What? What're you talking about? I didn't do it."

"No fucking way!" Kaso yells, exasperated, "She got all flustered about lyin' so she killed Minato!"

"Are you crazy?" She yells back, perhaps the first time I've heard her raise her voice so drastically, "You know I'd never do that. I don't like being humiliated but I'd never kill someone over it."

"Liar," He smirks back at her, "You can't keep lyin', Ayana. It's bad for your skin."

"She's not lying," A soft voice says, and we all turn to see Kuroko, her hand gently raised like she's in a classroom. 

"What do you mean?" Shiro says, playing with his cravat.

Kuroko suddenly blushes, her glasses almost falling off her face, "Hm? Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to cause a fuss. You can keep talking."

"No," Mitsuharu says firmly, glaring at her, "Tell us. You said you went to bed at 12, why are you suddenly changing your story?"

"I-I," She stammers, clutching her hair, "I'm sorry! I woke up around that time to go get a drink of water, and I saw Ayana! I'll never do it again!"

"You saw her in the kitchen?" I ask, "Or somewhere else?"

"She was eating cup ramen in the kitchen," Kuroko sniffs, dabbing her eyes with her tie, "I only went to the kitchen for five minutes, nowhere else!"

"It's fine, Kuroko," Tory sighs, "You're not the killer, and neither is Ayana."

As soon as the words leave her mouth, my heart sinks to my stomach. 

_I know exactly who the killer is. But it can't be true, there's no wa-_

"So then," Tory continues, "That leaves one suspect."

All eyes land on Jin once again, as if time is repeating itself.

It can't be true. There's no way he'd ever kill someone. We swore to stick together, me, Haruka and him. The friendship we'd built over the past few days, only furthered by the threat of death all unravelling at the seams.

"Huh?" Jin almost yelps, his jaw dropping, "What're you talking about?"

"We're saying you're the killer," Mitsuharu says bluntly.

Ayana smirks, blush rising on her face, and I swear I see her drool, "Oh my god, I had sex with a murderer? Jesus, that's kinda hot."

"No way," Haruka shakes her head, "Jin would never do that. Let's move on."

"Yeah!" Jin says, furrowing his brow and clenching his fists, "I'd never do something like that! Kihona can back me up, right?"

He stares longingly at me, but I don't have the words to respond with. Jin killed someone, there's no doubt. But I want doubt. I don't want to believe Jin killed Minato.

"Kihona?" Jin's words trail off, leaving the courtroom in silence.

"No," I finally say through my shaking voice, "I-I think you did it too. Unless you can prove otherwise."

Haruka's eyes widen, her mouth gaping open, "You're not serious, are you? You'll just betray a friend like that?"

"She has to," Mitsuharu says, "Unless Jin can prove his innocence."

"M-my innocence?" Jin stammers, crossing his arms over his chest. A shield from the accusations being shot straight at him, "Of course I can prove it! You have no damn proof I did it."

"Damn, what's gotten into you?" Charlotte pouts, almost cooing to him, "You don't like being the killer, do you?"

"Cut it out!" Haruka yells, stomping her foot on the marble floor, "He isn't the killer, there's absolutely no way he would do that."

"You'd really put your life on the line for trust?" A voice distracts me from Haruka's pleading eyes, and I turn to see Kaso. His stance is that usual slouched position, with his arms tightly folded, and a permanent smirk smeared across his face. He relaxes his shoulders and continues, "You've only known him for two days, y'know? And yet you'd get us all fuckin' killed because you 'believe in him'."

"I'm not gonna get us all killed!" Haruka growls, staring at him across the room with hungry eyes. Ready to pounce, "I'm not gonna get us killed because Jin isn't the killer."

"What proof do you have?" Kaso grunts, staring back at her with equally as menacing eyes, "Shut your whore ass mouth for more than a second and maybe we'll get out of here alive!"

"As rude as Kaso may be," Tory says, straightening her tie, "He has a point. Haruka, you need to betray your trust in Jin to get through his trial and live."

"No, I can prove I'm innocent," Jin protests, tears streaming down his face, "Charlotte said I left the bar at 2 with the others. So I went to go find Yana, and then drank in my room. Fucking simple, okay?"

"That's all the proof you need," Haruka declares, hands on her hips.

Daiki frowns, "Are you, like, in on this? Why are you being so quick to defend him?"

Haruka stays quiet, staring deeply at the floor in thought. It's as if she's a robot, turned off with the flick of a switch before she looks back up at the group.  
Tears run down her face. Fresh tears, dropping out of her glassy eyes one by one, and onto the hard floor beneath. She whimpers, "B-Because Jin is my friend! And he would never do that!"

I think back to Jin's point, and how he so quickly tried to prove his innocence. 

But it can't be right.

"Jin," I say softly, "Can you repeat your last point? How can you prove you didn't do it?"

_I don't want to believe it. I don't want to believe it. I don't want to believe it._

Jin takes a deep sniff before continuing, "I left the bar and took my drink back to my room. I never went back, not once, I promise."

"That's a lie, isn't it, Jin?" I feel my voice trailing off into silence. The lump in my throat only grows bigger, until it takes over my whole gullet. My whole mouth. I can't think, only empty words spill from my mouth. 

"You're lying," I repeat, almost trying to convince myself he is, "Because you can't take alcohol back to dorm rooms, can you? It's in the rules, you wouldn't be here right now if you did that."

Jin stays quiet, his blank eyes brimming with water. As if someone cast a greyscale filter over him, he looks like he's been drained of all colour. Deprived of emotion. 

"He actually did it?" Yashira says, clenching her fists into a ball, "Dammit."

"I-it's so heartbreaking," Mamo bites his bottom lip, "B-but he still did it."

After minutes of aching silence, Jin's eyes narrow, fire burning within them. 

He starts to shout, scream even, "I didn't do it! I swear on my life, I'm not a murderer! Minato was a cool guy, it's not in me to kill someone."

"But is it really?" Mitsuharu says, flicking his hair behind his ears, "You seem to be the type to get drunk all the time, so you naturally didn't have a grasp on your emotions at the time. Provided you had close access to a weapon, it would take only an off-hand insult to cause this." 

"I can't get over this," Ayana blushes, clenching her thighs together in a heated mess, "All this right before he fucked me?"

I feel as if a light bulb has flashed above my head the moment those words leave her mouth, "Oh, I got it. You took the trash key while you were with Ayana, right Jin?"

"No!" He responds almost instantly, "I couldn't 've reached it without her noticing."

"Dirty liar," Ayana smirks, "You were behind me, I couldn't see your sex face. So I guess it'd be easy to take it."

"A-ah!" Kohi yelps, flushing a bright red as he hides in his jacket. 

"Have anything else to say?" Tory says cooly, "Jin, I don't want to believe you did it more than anyone else here, but please, tell us the truth."

A pause. A pause so long and painful, I can feel the sharpness slicing through my flesh. I feel time freeze around me, as if the room is black, only casting a spotlight on Jin. And Haruka's distressed crying.

"I killed Minato."

Those three words each send a shot to my chest, growing more agonising as they progress. 

I ground myself back into reality, almost toppling over from the weight of my own body. 

"N-no," Haruka cries, shaking her head vigorously, "No you didn't! Tell me it's a lie!"

Jin sighs sadly, wiping the tears from his cheeks, "It's not a lie. I did it."

Haruka bursts further into crying, rushing over to his podium and burying her face in his chest, "No! No, no, no, no, no, no! Why did you do this? Why? Just tell me!"

"More importantly," Shiro says, his voice never once faltering, "What on earth happened? You're the only one who can tell us the whole truth, darling. So tell us."

Jin pries Haruka off him, who is practically dragged back to her podium by Monokuma. He takes a deep breath, before beginning to speak.

"I hit him, and I tried to clean up the blood 'n shit. Didn't have the furnace key, so I went to go find Ayana. Things...h-happened, and I got it, so I burnt everything and went back to my room."

"And that's a wrap on the bloody case!" Monokuma suddenly chimes, leaping up from his throne. A control panel is in front of him, and he scans us all with his deathly, red eye.

"So, ya think you solved everything? Let's see, let's see! It's voting time, motherfuckers!"

"Voting?" Kuroko looks at Monokuma oddly, "Are we voting for class president? Or what we're having for dinner? Ooh, ooh! I want pasta!"

"He means votes for the killer, demon," Aki grumbles, pulling her hair in front of her one eye.

"V-voting?" Haruka trembles, her once bright skin now a sickly grey-brown, "No! Please! Jin can't-"

But before she can protest any longer, Monokuma clicks a button on the panel, as seventeen screens shoot out of the floor. They open to a window filled with every students' name, and a taunting _'VOTE'_ button in big red letters.

_This is it._

_Voting time._


	14. Chapter One - 8: Sentenced to Execution

I can't bear to watch Jin's hands tremble any longer, his eyes listless and glassy from the tears. His cheeks and nose are flushed a bright red, and every inch of him shakes as if he's freezing. Though his mouth is open, not even a breath of a word escapes his lips. Everyone stares at the floor in a synchronised depression, any kind of life drained from them. I feel my heart slowly fall to my gut as a lump forms in my throat. My fingers waver above the tablet screen, desperately trying to escape the 'Vote Jin' button glaring back at me with its bold red lettering.

_But I have to do it._

_If I don't, everyone's lives are on the line._

_I have to sacrifice the love of a friend._

Before I click the button, I take one last look at Jin. His eyes meet mine, tears spilling down his puffy cheeks, almost begging me not to do it. Guilt fills me and I feel as if I could cry too. But, after hesitating for too long, I vote for Jin.

Almost immediately, Monokuma springs to attention, his eyes flashing, "That's all of em! Let's do a lil maths then, shall we?"

He turns away from us, fumbling around with his paws, as if he's calculating some incomprehensible equation. 

"And, done!" He says with an eerie chirpiness to his voice, "It looks like there were 15 votes for Jin, and one vote for...hold on, Haruka?"

All eyes turn to Haruka, still sobbing at her podium. She looks up, her tears glistening as they catch the light. 

"Haruka," Mitsuharu says cooly, "You voted for yourself."

"Why the fuck would you do that?" Kaso says with a grunt.

Her hands ball into fists as she grits her teeth. "Kihona, Ayana, how could you?" Voice shaking, she can barely utter anything comprehensible between cries, "You just sent a friend to his _death!_ You monsters!"

She collapses, sobbing again, dropping to her knees as she bangs her head against the podium.

"You assume I'm his friend?" Ayana says, cocking her head, "Does a rake and an asshole really bond people for life?"

"That's not the point!" Haruka screams, "He cared about you! He saw you as a friend, maybe more."

"Hey!" Kohi yells, "Don't bring her into this. She did-"

"Look, kiddo," Ayana says, "Love is cute, and maybe Jin is. But I'm not putting my life on the line to give him another boner."

Haruka's eyes burn with rage, I can practically feel the sparks going off, though she doesn't say another word to Ayana. Instead, her head slowly turns to me, her expression unchanged.

"You're just as bad," She says in a low voice, "Jin _trusted_ you. We were supposed to be a trio, you just betrayed everything we ever stood for!"

"Haruka," Kuroko says, "You should calm down a little bit. Take a few deep breaths, and think of kittens. Yes, tiny little kittens. With their little bean toes and their-"

"Are you kidding me?" She snaps, slamming her fist on the podium so hard I swear I feel the ground vibrate, "Jin's about to die and you all sit there and talk about _kittens_! Do something!"

"You can't do anything," Jin says suddenly, and the room falls silent. His voice is choked with fearful tears, "Haruka, thank you, but screaming isn't gonna do shit."

"Huh?" Haruka whimpers.

"He's right on the dollar." Monokuma says, hopping up and down on his throne, "Ya can't do fuck all. He's a goner. Kicking the bucket. Dead as a mother-loving doornail."

"Don't say that," Charlotte says, "You're making it worse."

"Haruka," Mitsuharu says, softening his tone slightly, "Kihona and Ayana did nothing wrong. With all due respect, you're being irrational. None of us wanted to vote."

I can't help but stare at Tory, her expression so much different from everyone else. Rather than sad, her eyes are vacant like a hollow ball. It's as if her pupils have completed disappeared, a grey tone casting over her once bright blue eyes. 

So keen to seek justice, yet justice results in another death.

Aki grins slightly, watching her snails crawl up her middle finger, "How about we ask Jin his motive? Those filthy ants that crawled in his brain and whispered despicable things."

"That's easy," Daiki grins, "Yo, Jin, what the fuck did you do that for?"

"M-motive?" Jin says, stumbling over his words, "I didn't have one! I told you, it was an accident."

"Oh yeah," Amai rolls her eyes, "So accidental that you hit him with a beer bottle, dragged him into a cupboard, cleaned up the blood, threw everything in the furnace and then got anal while you were at it? Sounds like a fucking accident to me."

"That's not what I meant." Jin says, wailing, "I didn't know what I was doing, the whole damn room was spinning. Then he spoke shit about a band I liked, and my brain went all...fuzzy."

" _That's_ your reason?" Yashira scoffs, "Totally fucking understandable."

"Jin wouldn't normally have done it, Yashira," I say, "He was drunk like the rest of us. But, I guess it doesn't excuse anything."

"He committed a crime nonetheless," Mamo says in a suddenly raspy voice. His eyebrow twitches.

"Enough of that malarkey." Monokuma roars. In front of him is a menacing red button as he retrieves a large wooden mallet from god knows where, "I wanna see some fuckers get smashed up. Monokuma style."

"No!" Jin cries, "P-please, I've got so much to live for. I still don't have a girlfriend." 

"Ya think that's a good enough reason to live, kiddo?" Monokuma grins, "I ain't never had a woman, but I'm killin ya anyways."

"You're a bear," Shiro raises an eyebrow, "Do bears fall in love? How romantic."

"Don't you think Ayana is your girlfriend?" Kuroko says with a smile, as if she's completely unaware to her surroundings, "Shakespeare might write a play about this love story."

"Absolutely fucking not," Ayana says, scowling.

More tears begin to spill down Jin's cheeks, falling onto his shirt. He glances at me, "Kihona, you like me, right?"

For a moment, I pause. Jin had been a friend and he still should be a friend. He was always so kind, whether that came across flaky at times. After that moment in the canteen, that moment of vulnerability, I can't help but feel a certain glowing aura radiating him. But his actions, his heat of the moment decisions, the blind intoxication. It all led to the death of Minato.

"Let's get on with this shit." Monokuma grins excitedly, preparing to slam the mallet, "Court is dismissed. It's _punishment time!"_

"Kihona!" Jin screams, but I don't respond. I just watch the mallet slowly descend to the red button. Inch by inch, frame by frame. Until.

_Slam._

** Execution of the Ultimate Radio Host **

**'That's All From Toku':**

The noise rings through my ears, as shackles fall from the ceiling, clamping around Jin's neck. His face drains of all colour, a look of pure horror on his face, as he reaches out for me. Desperate to survive. The chain drags him away, as he's slowly pulled into the distance.

"Please move to the left side of the room in preparation for the execution." Monokuma says, followed by his distinct, cackling laughter.

A screen lowers from lord knows where, revealing what can only be described as a recording studio for a giant. A large podium stands in the middle, topped with an enormous record player. And there, tied to the needle, scrambling for his life is Jin. Though he's far away, I feel close enough to match the fear in his eyes, as it blends with complete confusion at the scene in front of me.

Music begins to play without warning, an unfamiliar, jazzy tune. The insufferable whine of trumpets blares through the speakers, sending its vibrations humming through the ground. My gaze is transfixed on Jin, with no idea how this will end. All I know is that he dies here.

This is the end of Jin Toku.

As my mind dwells on those words, my heart sinks. A man who's golden heart was hiding behind layers of desperation. A craving for someone to love him. A yearning. He murdered someone - yet every moment of this torture is undeserved. I watch him wriggle, trying with every last breath to scramble out of the rope. His arms and legs flail violently, attempting to free himself.

The record spins, and I can feel the dizziness churning in my stomach. It continues for too long, painfully long, as every second begins to feel like hours. 

Until.

One arm breaks free from the rope, and scrambles to untie around him. Limb after limb, he lets himself free from the prison he's confined to. For a moment, I see him hesitating, pondering on whether or not to make the jump. It wouldn't be fatal, but perhaps the damage done could slow him down severely. Words burn in my stomach, itching to be released. But I can't say them. They will never be heard. They'll never reach Jin. _'_ _Y_ _ou can do it, Jin!'_ Is what I pray to scream, hoping with every ounce of my energy that my cries will be heard. That this whole nightmare could end with just the strain of a lung.

He jumps. Almost as if he heard my internal cries. 

Landing arm first, he lies helpless in a crumpled heap on the record's surface. All energy has been drained from him, his palms red raw from rope burn. Round and round, the record doesn't seem like it wants to stop. But he's free. Free from the height, free from the rope. And yet my heart still races uncontrollably. Haruka collapses to the floor, not even daring to look at the screen once. Just pressing her palms against her ears, muttering something over and over. I wish I could do the same, shut my eyes and pretend this is all some elaborate fever dream. But I can't look away, my eyes plastered to the screen, never once breaking contact. The music stops to a blaring halt, leaving the room lingering in painful silence. Jin pants heavily, as if he hasn't noticed the sudden stop.

He won. He survived. He beat Monokuma. He lived through the execution. He can leave and we can pretend this never happened. Go back to being friends. Living side by side in this university, making the best of things.

Until the needle descends. 

Time seems to slow down in the moment. As if we're being taunted by the universe. Yet Jin still lies directly under the needle's path, and doesn't move an inch.

"Move!" I hear Tory yell in desperation, though her words only bounce off the screen and back into the room. An empty cry for help.

He doesn't move, only lying exhausted on the record's grooves.

Slowly. Slowly. Slower. The needle moves down, and further down. Until the very prick grazes his skin.

_Slash_

The sound of metal slicing through flesh fills the room, blaring through the speakers louder than the music could ever be. Blood splatters the screen like some morbid theatre curtain, and I instantly feel the pit in my stomach grow immense.  
Haruka screams. Her shrill cries fill the room, along with the thumping of her fists against the marble floor. Kohi turns a ghostly pale, even Kaso seems to be completely stunned.

I watch Tory's eyes fade to grey, an almost crazed expression spreading across her face. She grabs fistfuls of her hair, tugging frantically on it.

"This..." Her eyes turn to us all, clutching her chest, "This wasn't supposed to happen. This isn't justice!"

"Tory," Mitsuharu reaches his hand out to her as some sort of meaningless comfort, but she instantly swats him away.

"No!" She yells, worry filling her eyes, "H-he just died. This isn't how it's supposed to go. This isn't what justice looks like."

With that, she dashes towards the trial room doors- now opened by Monokuma- leaving the courtroom choked with tears. I feel one slip down my own cheek, but I know I should cry more. The death of a friend, a companion, someone who should've survived along with us. And within an hour of the death of another innocent man. It should be enough to send me into a fit of bawling.

Mamo abruptly leaves the room, the swiftness of his movements almost enough to make him go unnoticed. But Shiro's desperate trailing behind him makes it all too obvious he's leaving. As the others begin to leave around me, I notice Haruka, still crying hopelessly on the floor. I feel her pain, but it doesn't want to come out. I know I should cry. 

I walk to her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Haruka. We should go, I'm so sorry this happened."

She sniffs, whimpering as the words leave her mouth, "You should be sorry. This is all your fault! He didn't do it, he would never."

I grit my teeth, "I know this is awful for you, I liked him a lot too. But this isn't my fault. It's no one's fault but whoever's running this."

Haruka looks up at me, any traces of mascara on her eyes now halfway down her cheeks. She furrows her brow, stomping out of the room, the little sobs dying down as she does.

And once again, I'm alone.

Isolated in the middle of a desolate courtroom, only surrounded by podiums, fish, and a menacing screen. The red of the blood still illuminates the room, and I can't take my eyes off it. 

Jin's dead body is behind t. 

I know deep in my heart I'm not at fault, but Haruka's distressed words, her pleas for Jin's life, it sends a shot of guilt through me.

My own thoughts distract me for so long, I barely notice the looming presence still in the room.

"You're just gonna stand there?"

I whirl to see Mitsuharu, stood casually with his arms folded. His green eyes seem so much kinder in the light as I watch him step closer to me.

"What do you expect?" I mumble, voice wavering from the lump in my throat, "My friend just died."

He shrugs, his face saddening. As if he couldn't empathise with me even if he tried. _But does he even want to?_

"I just wanted to hang around for you," He says, looking away from me anxiously, "To thank you."

"Thank me?" I say, baffled. _He doesn't seem to have a nice bone in his body, and he's thanking me for what?_

"Yeah," He says, shifting his gaze to the floor, "You might not be fully observant, but you really persevered to bring justice."

"You think so?" I say, holding my hands to my chest, "I'm glad, I doubted myself a bit, I think."

Mitsuharu shrugs, his shabby auburn hair falling into his eyes, "Well, like I said. You have amazing potential. No wonder Lorem accepted you."

My cheeks heat up, "O-oh, really? I, uh-"

"So thank you," He continues, "Thank you for being here. You'll do great."

Without another word, he walks away. I should be reassured by his speech, words like those could uplift anyone. And yet they feel empty, triggering no feeling other than disappointment.

_Jin and Minato are dead._

Those are the five words that replay in my mind over and over as I traipse to my dorm, the weight of the world crushing my shoulders. Tory's outburst, Haruka's tears, and Mitsuharu's ineffective reassurance. Though no one is here, the tension between us all still feels thick in the air. Like we're fighting silently from across campus.

_How can we possibly trust each other now?_

Once again, I swipe my handbook against the sensor and let myself in my room, almost immediately collapsing onto my bed.

_This has to be the craziest, worst thing that could ever happen to someone._

There's no way this is real, no way that someone would go through the effort just to cause such pain.

Perhaps I'm being punished. As if I hadn't been taught enough of a lesson all those years ago, as if I haven't felt sick to my stomach every day of my life. Thinking. Praying, hoping someone would just invent time travel so I could go back and change the past. But it's there. Forever ingrained in time, never changing, never dying.

But Jin's hoarse voice still clouds my mind, as the sun slowly drifts beneath the horizon and my room darkens. His strange, yet comforting scent.

The sight of his wayward smile.

_He's gone, he's really gone._

**15 STUDENTS REMAIN...**


	15. Intermission - 1: Unknown?

_"It worked."_

_I carefully hold the needle between my two fingers, my hand quivering as I try to maintain steadiness._

_"No motive needed."_

_The tiny voice can barely be heard through the speakers of my handbook, but turning up the volume would be risky. Perhaps so risky it could lead to my death._ _Slowly, I thread the needle, pulling the soft, cream string through the eye_ _and_ _tying a delicate knot at the end._

_"Am I doing a good job?" The man says, his thick accent taking me a while to decipher._

_"Yes, you're doing fine," I say in a low voice, pulling the speaker to my mouth, "Why did you even call me? You can see me on the cameras, you should know exactly what I'm doing."_

_"I need to hear your voice," His voice falters, "What if someone kills you?"_

_For a moment I pause, his words ringing through my brain like a piercing telephone._

_Do I pose any threat at all to the others?_

_"I'm not going to die," I declare, breaking the painful silence lingering in the room, "I see no reason why they would want to eliminate me."_

_"B-But, you are an easy target?" The man continues to blabber, stumbling over_ _every syllable and I almost can't bear to listen._

_I bite my lip as I poke the needle through a thin piece of cloth and begin to sew. Up, around, under. Up, around, under. Each step repeats in my head, like a roundabout with nowhere to go. The blandness of it all puts my mind at ease as I try to forget the events of today. The events of last week. The events of 20 years. It all floods away into a pool of nothingness._

_"Still there?"_

_The moment is broken by the man's shaky voice, and I feel my concentration snap._

_"Yes, for God's sake, stop worrying about me," I sigh, placing the fabric back down on my desk, "Look, you're doing fine. Please stop calling me, you could blow my cover."_

_"B-but!" The man pleads, "What if you are harmed?"_

_"That doesn't matter," I say, as I switch the speaker off on my handbook, placing it to my ear, "If you were to call while I was with a participant, they could see the screen. Please, just message if you need me."_

_"O-okay," The man says, "Apologies. I will go."_

_Without another word, the line cuts off, and I toss my handbook onto my bed. Leaning back in my chair, I groan._

_The lack of light floods my eyes, and a wave of sleepiness falls over me. But I push it aside. I can't let it drown the satisfaction. The pride. The triumph._

_My plan is in full swing. Every bullet point, word for word._

_More people are to die._


	16. Chapter Two - 1: Dawn of a New Demise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys. just to say the next free time event poll is officially open! vote for your favourite character in the comments here, on wattpad, and in my discord server if you want to see kihona hang out with them!

_My eyes open._

_I feel the cold prickle of stone against my back, tickling every inch of my body awake. A smooth, yet menacing breeze clings to my pores, sending a ghostly chill through me._

_The sound of drifting leaves and the whistling of wind surrounds me, cocooning me in a sense of uncertainty._

_Grey sky. A dull day, not a sliver of sunlight peeking through the thick clouds._

_Who brought me here? Have they trapped me?_

_I sit upright immediately, revealing a large building against the horizon. An immense, brick castle, shrouded by black mist and an irrational dread. Swings are dotted around the concrete, and trees seem to be lush in every patch of grass._

_So familiar, yet so odd._

_My old kindergarten._

_The days of being a clueless 5-year-old all come swimming back to me, pattering around the playground with my little white socks, screaming until my lungs hurt when my mother let my hair down. Exchanging friendship bracelets. I smile._

_As I begin to brush through my hair, I notice its striking colour._

_A dashing red, like a liquified ruby, runs through my fingers and I continue to brush. Though it doesn't surprise me, it feels almost comforting._

_And then, without warning._

_A scream._

I wake up, bolting straight upright, as my head throbs from the motion. The room slowly sways in an exhausted blur, side to side, up and down. My eyes can barely keep up.  
I run my fingers through my matted hair, and it remains the same colour as it had been the day before. 

_So it was just a dream._

A tsunami of realisation engulfs me in its cold, ugly waters, and each memory of the previous day comes flooding back. One by one. Piece by piece. Every horrific event reforms in my mind. Minato's dead body. Jin's final pleas for his life. Haruka's tears, slowly streaming down her cheeks. The blood against the screen.  
I can't resist the urge to grab my handbook and start tirelessly scrolling through every message I'd sent to Jin. Pondering on every little word, every punctuation mark, and how I could've done it differently.

_'Jin: Hey, you there?'_

I wish I was there. I wish he was here. Slumped over my desk, ranting on about something as minuscule as ladybirds. I crave to hear his voice, pondering on how they came to be, or how their wings are so delicate, yet they can still lift their body weight. Or which colours were really the poisonous ones. Before, I would've scolded him for being so dull and sent him out of my room without another word. But that ladybird was the most important thing to him, and now it's gone. Crushed by the ruthless fists of injustice.

Before I can slump back into the cavern of my bedsheets, there's a quiet knock on my door. 

Answering seems like the most arduous chore of all, but the words only just escape my lips. "It's open."

The door clicks, slowly opening, and the light from the hallway spills into my dark, desolate room. Shrouded by slight shadowiness, I can just about make out Mitsuharu's figure. 

In any normal situation, it would be mortifying to have a man walk in on me, bare-faced and lying in bed, but I don't have the energy to care. Somehow, he's found the time to fully dress, piercings and all. 

"It's late," He says after a long pause. 

There's another painful silence that I'm determined to break, but the sentences never quite string together well enough. My silence only prompts him to speak more.

"Sorry to barge in like this," His words are awkward, like he can't quite figure out what to say to me. His eyes divert from mine whenever I look at him, fumbling with the rips in his jeans.

"It's fine," I groan, making my best efforts to sit up, each movement feeling like I'm straining every muscle in my body. 

"How are you?" He says coldly, slouching against my wall.

I frown, "Do you need an answer?"

He sighs, "Sorry. Guess I can't empathise."

I slowly swing my legs out of bed, standing up. My legs feel weak like jelly, as if they could just give out right there and then.

"Jin was your friend, right?" Mitsuharu says abruptly, "Like, you swore to be a team, didn't you?"

I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat, "How's Haruka?"

"She came to show her face at breakfast," He says, maintaining his usual unbothered voice, "Left after a while, it's been a few hours since then and I haven't seen her."

My heart sinks thinking of her face. Her silence. Her tear-stained cheeks and bloodshot eyes. Perhaps an abrupt exit, or the slamming of her bedroom door. She had probably been closer to Jin than I was, but the feeling of guilt still grips me. 

"In case you care," Mitsuharu continues, oblivious to my sudden wave of emotions, "Tory's locked herself away. I knocked on her door this morning, she didn't seem keen to interact. She called off all chores too, so looks like we're free for now."

I nod. _This whole justice thing has really gone to her head._

"What time is it?" I ask, a sluggishness in my voice.

He glances at his handbook, "12:30. Kohi didn't make breakfast, he thought it would make everyone worse for some reason." 

My throat can't seem to force the words out to say, as I make my way to my dresser, teasing through my hair.

_But why was it red?_

Each knot is tight, bunched into a scraggly ball of unbreakable mess. The brush won't pry through, no matter how many tugs I give it. As if it's determined to stop me.

"Kihona, that's not good for your hair," Mitsuharu says, but I ignore him and persist with my violent brushing. Harder, harder, becoming more desperate with every stroke, until my hands give out.

I feel it slip down my cheek. A warm, salty tear, trickling along every crevice of my face. And then there's more, brewing up like a kettle that's about to explode. 

Sobbing.

This is real. Two innocent men dead within hours of each other. Each stripped of their morality, their friendships, their own lives. 

And at what cost? To have the glimmer of hope that they'll see the outside world again? To be free of the horrible of injustices that come with achieving justice?

"If you can't tell," Mitsuharu says, shattering the heavy feeling in the room, "I wasn't the closest with Jin. But I hope I can offer you some comforting words."

He pulls aside my desk chair, scooting up to me inch by inch. 

"You have every right to grieve," He begins, "We're all grieving. Jin was our classmate, Minato too. But we need to get back on our feet." 

I grit my teeth, his words only angering me more. 

"Get back on our feet?" I say, choked on my tears, "Are you insane? Two people just died!"

My sudden vehemence takes him aback slightly, "Listen to me. We can't sit around on this any longer, or more people are going to die. Monokuma is ruthless, he won't take time to let us cry about it."

"How can you be so cynical?" I cry, "Being negative will only make it worse!"

"Kihona, I just said that," Mitsuharu says with a groan, "No matter what outlook you have on this, you should've learned by now that the bear has no mercy. He let two people die within hours of each other, he won't be kind to us."

I'm silent, the words too exhausted to leave my mouth. He's right, god dammit he's right. And yet the truth sends a shot of agony to my heart. Through the tears in my eyes, I can still make out his blank expression, like a block of slate. Cold, colourless, and firm like stone. Never once breaking. 

"I'm sorry if I'm not the best at comfort," He sighs, heading towards the door, "I never have been. But I'm a shoulder to cry on. I guess..."

Again, I don't respond. I won't respond. My throat is too full of anticipation and the urge to just scream.

He takes another deep sigh, knowing I'm not willing to cooperate and begins to open the door, "Well, bye, I guess."

"Bye," I reply sheepishly, my words left hoarse by my aching throat.

He closes the door, leaving me in the pain of my room.

Quiet. An endless silence that could stretch for miles. It aches and drags like an injured snail, desperately trying to crawl along the road without being flattened by a car tire. I feel my heart beating in my chest, the thumping loud enough to ring through my ears. My hair finally decides to cooperate, and for the first time ever, I open up the bottom drawer of my dresser. The black hoodie and pair of leggings stare back at me with curiousness, sitting alone in the depths of this regal vanity. I'd never considered wearing any clothes besides my own, but the strengthening odour of my body and stale alcohol only increases by the day. I slip on the university clothing, the harsh polyester scraping at my skin, and I can already feel a rash forming. Gritting my teeth, I leave my dorm, heading for one place, and one place only.

Haruka's dorm.

The little plaque with her name on it sends my belly into a nervous wreck of butterflies. I don't know if I can face her anymore, the knowledge that she blames me for the death of a friend burning in my mind.

_I have to patch this up. Or I'll never forgive myself._

Taking a deep breath, I count in my head-

_1, 2, 3-_ before knocking sharply on the door.

Silence. Not even the shuffling of bedsheets or the slamming of the en-suite door. 

I knock again, more firmly in hopes she hadn't heard me. Her ignoring me would be far worse. "Hey, Haruka," I call through the door after a lack of response, "It's Kihona. I want to talk about yesterday."

"Go away," Haruka's muffled voice calls back to me.

I sigh, "Please let me in. We both need this."

"Why should I?" She mumbles, "You killed Jin."

"Let me in," I say, my sympathetic tone dropping, "Now."

Shuffling, mumbling. The sound of footsteps slowly grows closer, before the door clicks and opens shy of an inch. 

The entire room is dark, apart from a slither of Haruka's big blue eyes poking through the ajar door. Yesterday's makeup still lingers on her skin, yet those tears aren't stale at all. 

"What do you want?" She mutters, furrowing her brow.

"Open the door?" I tilt my head. She slowly pulls the door more open, and I can see her full body.

"Come in," She bites her lip as I make my way into her room.

Despite her ragged appearance, her bedroom is surprisingly clean. Her walls are painted a light purple with a white ceiling and carpet. A small, white bed is tucked neatly away in the corner of the room, the lilac sheets embroidered with bunnies. They seem almost untouched, as if she hasn't slept in them since she last made it. The grey and purple cushions are arranged perfectly in height order, and the pillows are perfectly fluffed. Similar to my own room, she has a small desk, though less grand and sophisticated to make room for open space. Perfectly fit for dancing.

"Is everything okay?" I say, though I don't need to know the answer. 

She shakes her head, maintaining her sour expression as she stares at me, "What do you want? Are you here to kill me too?"

"Haruka," I try to steady my twitching hand, "Why are you only mad at me? We all voted for Jin, even he did."

Haruka looks away from me, and I can see the fresh tears beginning to brim, "I'm mad at all of you. But you betrayed him. We had a friendship, Kihona, and you just lost faith in him so easily."

"But," I say, desperately trying not to cry myself, "If I'd kept my trust in him, none of us would be here right now. We can't afford to trust people anymore, do you not realise the situation we're in?"

For a moment, she doesn't respond, tapping her feet nervously, "I'm sorry. I just don't understand. Why would he do that? It didn't seem like him at all, he was so gentle and sweet."

"I know, Haruka," I say, "He was great, I miss him. But you need to get ahold of yourself. You can't just throw your life around to keep someone you've barely met. Even for me."

Haruka wipes the remaining tears from her eyes and looks as if she's about to say something. But before she can, the loudspeakers spring to life with four monotonous chimes.

"Hey!" Monokuma's voice roars through the speakers, "How's life? Isn't really much for Jin and Minato, ha! Okay, okay, settle down, it wasn't that funny."

I watch anxiously, waiting for him to drop some deathly bombshell.

"Anywho," The bear continues, his voice scraping my ears, "Please could you all gather in the common room for a special announcement. Those who don't attend will receive a text message of all the information given, but please, don't be a lazy ass. Be there in 5!"

Abruptly, the microphone cuts off. Haruka and I stare at each other, as if we're pondering whether or not to go. I barely have to answer as she marches off down the corridor, heading straight for the common room. 

I watch as the door slowly begins to close, making a dash for it before I'm locked in for lord knows how long. 

Trailing after Haruka as best as I can, I eventually reach the common room, bursting through the doors as I pant to catch my breath.

Only a few students have gathered. Me, Haruka, Yashira, Shiro, Mamo and Kohi. I don't know why I expected Tory to come, yet her absence is almost eerie. Seeing her face at every single gathering without fail, only to be instantly destroyed. 

"What on earth is happening here?" Shiro raises an eyebrow, smacking his glossy lips together, "I am not amused."

"Ya didn't have to come!" Monokuma smiles, perching on one of the sofas, "I mean, I'm hurt this is all we've got today, but ya snooze, ya lose."

"Then what the fuck do you want from us?" Yashira groans, bags under her eyes. Her usual passionate tone is completely dead, and rather replaced with an exhausted mumbling.

Monokuma pirouettes, spinning over and over until he plonks himself back down again. A rather elegant display, though strange for a robotic bear, "Look, I know what you kids are like these days, so I've decided to nudge you along to the next murder!"

"W-What?" Mamo says, jumping slightly as the bear speaks, "You mean like a m-motive?"

"You can call it that if you'd like to be formal," Monokuma grins, "Just somethin that might peak ya interest in murder!"

"No, I don't like it," Kohi covers his ears, shaking his head from side to side, "I won't listen!"

Yashira slowly walks towards him, prying his hands away, "You might wanna, this is important." 

Kohi nods meekly, sliding his dirty blonde hair from his eyes.

"Right then," Monokuma sighs, shaking his head, "Now that we're over with the soppy shit, let's get onto the motive!" He retrieves a small paper from his pocket, scanning it as if he's trying to translate a QR code, "If one of you special people commits a murder, you will receive one of two prizes?"

"Wait," I ask, "So, you get either reward?"

"Right on!" He smirks. Suddenly, he yanks the projector screen from the ceiling, turning on some strange presentation he's clearly put together in about 10 minutes.

"After a student is confirmed dead, they will receive one of the following prizes."

He clicks to the next slide, the crappy transition taking seconds to render before the next slide shows up.

"You could receive a wad of cash worth the lottery!" Monokuma chimes, pointing to the stock image of money he's pasted on the background, "I'm serious! We're talkin' millions, hundreds of millions! And it could all be yours. Or..." He clicks to the next slide again, once more having to suffer through those dreadful transitions. The slide appears to have a picture of a key, nothing else. Just a simple, golden key.

"What does that mean?" Haruka asks, playing with her buns.

"You also have the opportunity to win an all-access key to the entire campus! It can unlock every single door, even the restricted ones!"

"W-what?" Mamo exclaims, shaking his head, "Y-you mean anywhere?"

"Yep!" Monokuma nods, "You don't even have to get away with it, you'll just get the key instantly. But you have to get away with the murder to be able to share any confidential information, or it's off with yer head!"

"How much money are we talkin' here?" Yashira raises an eyebrow, "Like, a few million?"

"More!" The bear smiles, flashing his silver teeth, "100million Great British Pounds! GBP! Quids! All yours at your fingertips. Terms and conditions apply, Lorem University is not responsible for any damage or harm caused by our services. No refunds applicable, at all protected."

"D-do you even have the funds to give us all that money?" Kohi says, clutching his satchel in fright."

Monokuma glares at him, "It won't bloody matter, you'll all be dead, and the university will be abandoned. Can't just let all this cash money sit to gather dust!"

"Lord," I sigh, "But we won't be tempted by money, we're not that cheap."

"Th-the key, though," Mamo narrows his eyes, "I-if someone were to kill, then they could unlock the secrets of the university and end this, r-right?"

"Are you insane?" Haruka yells, "No one will kill."

Mamo jumps, recoiling from her, "I-I'm sorry! But, think about it. They wouldn't be executed if we found the m-mastermind."

Kohi widens his eyes, "You think someone else is running this behind the scenes?"

"Of course," Shiro says suddenly, stepping out from behind Mamo, "Dear Mamoru has a point. Do you really think it's possible for a mere bear to lock seventeen students in a university and blow up the campus?" He chuckles, "My my, you all can be rather silly. But it's to be expected."

Mamo nods, before raising an eyebrow, "D-dear?"

Shiro smirks, "Hm? I think you are rather darling. Perhaps we should spend some time together after this?"

A pink flush forms on Mamo's cheeks, turning away from Shiro, "I-I'll think about it, I suppose."

I turn back to where Monokuma had been standing, only to be greeted with an empty space. He must have whisked away whilst we were all taking, hiding back in his little cave.  
Each handbook in the room pings with a text message, detailing all we need to know about the next motive. Nothing new, just a more formal replica of what the bear had said to us.

We each exchange our goodbyes, a sense of anxiety looming among us before we disperse among the corridor.

I stand in the doorway of the common room, flicking through my handbook to find the map.

_I know exactly where I want to go now._

I click on the section labelled 'Student Dorms', and scroll through until I find their name.

"Yo," A sharp voice calls from behind, slogging me in the shoulder, "Move, maybe? You're blockin' the exit."

I look up to see Yashira, staring back down at me with her blistering green eyes, such a beautiful contrast against her cool brown skin. 

"O-oh," I mumble, shuffling out of the way, "Sorry, didn't notice."

"No worries," She grins, and notices me staring at my map, "Hey, you goin' somewhere? I can show you around if you want."

I shake my head, smiling nervously, "O-Oh, I know where I'm going. I just want to go see Tory. Apparently, she's not doing so well."

Something about Yashira sets me a little on edge. Perhaps it's her belt, loaded so heavily with bullets, she could probably shoot us all. Perhaps it's her mean state or her sharp nails, or those weighty combat boots. She could be ranting about guinea pigs and puppies and I'd still feel my heart racing.

"Oh, sweet," She says, "Mind if I tag along? Kinda bored, might be fun to get around a bit."

Without thinking, I nod, followed by a phoney grin.

Yashira doesn't say another word and takes off in the direction of Tory's dorm. I try my best to keep up with her pace, desperately scrambling like the runt duckling.

It doesn't take us long before we reach her dorm.


	17. Chapter Two - 2: The Cellist's Courtship

I want to knock on her door, and I know I probably should, but something holds me back. Like some invisible barrier, I can't seem to put my hand to the door, keeping my fist clenched by my sides. Looking up at Yashira, I notice her confused glance towards me, an eyebrow raised to radiate that same _'Jesus fucking Christ'_ energy she emits so well.

Eventually, after staring at me for a painfully long time, she tuts, rolling her eyes, "You not gonna do anything?"

I frown to myself, "Uh, maybe this isn't the best idea, she really did freak out after the-"

But before I can stop her, Yashira charges towards Tory's door, hammering against it with her slender hands, "Open up! We want to talk to you."

"Th-that's not the best idea," I giggle nervously, my wavering voice masked by the violent banging in front of me.

"No," Tory's muffled voice says from inside the room, "Go away! I won't let you kill me."

I rush to the door, trying to push past Yashira without provoking her, "Hey, Tory? It's okay, we're not going to hurt you. We just want to talk."

"Prove it," She chokes through her tears, "I know what you want, just go away."

"Open the door and we'll prove it," I say with a soft voice, stepping away from the door as to avoid trapping my feet.

Eventually, the sound of shuffling comes from inside the room, before it becomes the sound of a clock and beep. Tory pulls the door open just shy of an inch, revealing only her tired, hollow eyes.

I put my hands up, spreading out my fingers and my legs, "See? I don't have anything. And neither does Yashira."

Tory glances at Yashira, before turning back to me, "You could strangle me, or poison me. How do I know you're not both-"

"Stop being a pathetic lil' bitch!" Yashira sighs, kicking the door slightly more open. Tory jumps, recoiling behind the door, and I can't help but sigh.

"Tory, you can trust me. I'll leave the door open if you don't trust me on our own," I say, watching her slowly re-emerge from the darkness. 

She takes a long look at me as if she's scanning my face, before gradually opening the door and flicking on the lights.

The room is surprisingly messy for someone as well kept as her, though it hasn't had much time to descend into a cluttered hell. Her white bedsheets are unmade, the black and beige cushions strewn across the floor and her clothes along with them. Her curtains are closed, and the blackout blinds pulled all the way down; her walls would likely be a pitch-black if it weren't for the dim, yellow lighting above us.

She stares at us, her eyes red from crying. I notice her lack of glasses, and how small and dainty her eyes look without them. Like her glasses were a part of her skin or built on at birth, it just doesn't seem right. 

"Okay," She steps back slightly, wiping her hands on the pyjamas provided, "What do you want?"

"We want to talk," I turn to Yashira, who steps into the room, lingering close by the door. 

Tory blinks, setting herself down on the wheeled leather chair. Empty coffee mugs litter the surface of her white desk, along with dirty tissues and open books.

"Those things you said after the trial," I say with a sigh, "What did you mean? Why did you say those things?"

The words repeat in my mind again.

_'This wasn't supposed to happen!'_

_'This isn't what justice looks like!'_

Tory tucks her knees under her chin, a thoughtful look on her face, "I meant exactly what I said. That isn't justice, another man died for the sake of it."

Any kind of response is cut off by my own hesitation, the kind, comforting words I could offer her trapped in my throat. I know she's right, she couldn't have put it better, but there's no consolidation I can give her. No caring advice. 

Yashira slouches against the wall, "You do know this ain't about justice, right? Whoever set this up probably ain't bothered about that. They just want us to die."

"But these innocent people," Tory whimpers, her eyes suddenly filled with tears, "They deserve justice. They need it."

Her cries fill the room, and I feel myself standing awkwardly, merely patting her shoulder. But it doesn't do anything, like I'm only doing this to prove I have empathy.

Tory takes a deep breath, "It's my fault."

"What?" I say, my grip tightening on her shoulder, "No, no way. Why do you think that?"

"I tried so hard," She sniffs, shaking her legs at a rapid pace, "I wanted to bring justice for Minato, and now Jin is dead. I tried so hard, and someone died because of me."

"Now hold on," I fold my arms, my tone growing firmer, "Jin's death wasn't your fault."

"Yeah," Yashira nods, straightening her posture, "I mean, if we hadn't done it, we'd all be dead right now."

Tory stays quiet. She picks up her thin glasses from her desk, sliding them onto her watery eyes with her trembling fingers.

"I-I'm sorry," She gulps, trying to compose herself, "I just want the world to have justice, that's why I'm a lawyer."

"Oh, really?" I smile, settling myself on her bed, "Well, what brought that on?"

Her gaze shifts uncomfortably, "I, uh. It's a long story, you don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all," I say, leaning forward to listen to her.

Tory clears her throat, "It was my parents. They're corrupt, money-hungry people. Loan sharks. They extort the vulnerable and it's not fair. Those people deserve justice."

I pause, unsure of what to say to her. A rich background doesn't exactly surprise me, her suit is ironed to a crisp and her brown loafers don't look cheap when she's wearing them. But now it sounds as if that money wasn't earned through hard work and compassion. 

"I just want order in the world," Tory continues, "And yet no matter what my family does, I'm forced to love them. Because they're my parents."

"So, you just stood by them extortin' people?" Yashira raises an eyebrow.

"I have to," Tory sighs, "As I said, they're my parents. But I just hope that with my law degree, I can prove that their actions are wrong without telling them."

I place a hand on Tory's knee, and her eyes widen with surprise. Even fear.

"I know how much you strive for justice," I say in a low voice, her crystal blue eyes staring back into mine, "I admire it, really. But not everything in the world can be perfect, y'know? Don't beat yourself up about it, you did what you had to do. You're a good lawyer, Tory."

Tears form in her eyes again as she blinks them away. She takes a deep sniff, as if she's trying her best to find the words to say.

"There's no need to blame yourself at all, the burden of the world isn't on you." I continue, hoping I'll receive some sort of response. But she stays quiet, as if she's refusing to take it in. Refusing to accept it.

Yashira groans, as if she hasn't taken in a single word over the past few minutes, "Okay, are we done?"

"You didn't have to come," I sigh, heading towards the door. I turn to Tory, "Remember, okay? You're a good lawyer."

With that, I gently close the door behind me, leaving Yashira and me stranded in an ocean of silence.

I glance to her, as she fiddles with her long pink nails. Looking at her, it's as if someone pulled her out of the early 2000s. The glossy lips, bright pinks, even down to her makeup. It screams mean girl nostalgia, a look I feel I'm growing rather fond of.

I clear my throat, "Are you planning on staying? What are you gonna do?"

She seems surprised as she turns to me, "Huh? What do you- oh, right. I'm probs just gonna go find Charlie. Hang around 'n shit. Wanna tag along?"

Shaking my head, I laugh nervously, "N-no, I'm a bit busy right now.

Of course, that's a lie. Why should I lie to her? And yet the words slip out before they even process in my brain. 

"Huh," She shrugs, "That's a damn shame. Oh well, see ya around, I guess."

I don't even get to say goodbye before she's halfway down the corridor, anything I might say easily out of earshot.

Shrugging, I meander down a separate hallway, praying that I might just bump into someone interesting to talk to. Interesting, but not insufferable. Perhaps the perfect balance that's so hard to ever strike in this god awful university. I sigh and pick up my pace, almost agitated by my own slowness. As I walk further down the corridor, I pick up on the faint sounds of mumbling creeping through a door, slightly ajar. Likely two men, talking in hushed voices as if not wanting to be heard. And yet without a second thought, I head to the door.

It's only open a crack, yet it's enough for me to see the scene inside. 

Mamo and Shiro.

Whirring. The gentle whizzing noise from the washing machines sounds from behind the two. Shiro seems to be knelt on the tile floor, folding up some extra sheets with a content smile, as Mamo packs away the iron, a colossal stack of neatly folded laundry resting on the counter.

Chores.

"Hey guys," I grin as I step inside. The two seem alarmed at my sudden entrance, Mamo's face white with horror. _That man would be scared of a damn fly._

"Hm? Oh, hello, dear Kihona," Shiro smiles at me, standing up from the floor, "Dear God, this floor is filthy." 

"I-I'm sorry," Mamo stares at the floor, "I-I'll clean it for you."

I ignore Mamo, "What are you guys doing in here? You guys weren't on laundry, right?"

Shiro shakes his head, placing the last folded shirt on the pile. A purple shirt with pink frills. _Who else but Amai's?_

"Well, it seems that Monokuma wasn't particularly phased by calling off chores, so he unlocked the doors to certain rooms," Shiro continues, "And the two of us decided to do the work instead. I don't want the place smelling like a zoo, hm? Not everyone can afford such lavish cologne."

As I roll my eyes, Shiro winks. Perhaps he's joking, but I don't feel like deciphering anymore sarcasm. 

"Well, looks like you guys are finishing up," I say, "Any of you want to talk for a bit? Just sit around and chat?"

"I'd love to," Shiro sighs, "But I have to carry this laundry to the rooms. Dear Lord, some of this underwear is vulgar. Though I suppose it's not my place to judge."

"Mamo?" I turn to him.

He freezes. Cold and still, staring directly at me with those big brown eyes. He bites his quivering lip, "Uh, a-are you sure?"

I nod. Mamo glances at Shiro, who returns his stare. A longing gaze, as if he's looking deeply into his eyes. Enticed by them, captivated by them.

Almost infatuated with him.

"If you so please," Shiro says with a gentle smile, placing a slim hand on Mamo's shoulder. He flushes at his touch, nodding.

"U-uh, okay," Mamo looks to me, scurrying out of the room as he leaves Shiro behind him.

A sigh of relief escapes his chest, shoulders dropping from their fixed position.

I raise an eyebrow, "Everything okay?"

He blinks as he turns to me, something I'm all too familiar with now. Constantly, rapidly blinking. As if there's permanently a fleck of dirt in there, or tears creeping out of the corner of his eye. 

"U-um," He nods, "So wh-where did you want to go?"

Grinning, my eyes light up with realisation, "Oh, you could play me the cello! I'd love to see you play."

He stares at the ground in thought, cupping his hands together, "I-I'm really not that good. Besides, I don't see any signs of a cello."

I pout, "That's a shame. I mean, you have to be good. Why else would you be here?"

"I-it's not a school about talent," He rubs his arm, hiding his face as if he's ashamed, "It's about potential."

My words seem to have been lost in a sea of confusion, leaving me in total silence. Dumbfounded by him. But as I brush it off, we seem to start walking to the canteen simultaneously.

* * *

With two cups of steaming coffee in my hands, I try to keep a firm grasp and a steady balance as I walk towards the table. Mamo has already seated himself there, his hands cupped together as his leg bounces on the floor like a malfunctioning robot. I place his mug down on the table, followed by my own.

"So," I say as if to break the silence, pulling a chair for me to sit on. My eyes never once tear from him, but he doesn't seem keen to stare back. 

"S-so what?" He pulls the mug close to his chest, inhaling the rich aroma from the coffee. _Must be some good instant coffee to smell that nice._

"I don't know, honestly," I laugh nervously, "Oh wait, what's the deal with Shiro? Does he...like you?"

I notice his cheeks turn pink as he sips the coffee with a tiny slurp. 

"W-well," He sighs, "I don't know. H-he is quite affectionate, but it all seems so fast."

I nod, "Yeah, for sure."  
He swirls the coffee in his mug, "B-before you ask, I don't know if I like him yet. H-he seems sweet, I guess. But I'm not sure if it's right."

I smile, "You don't have to worry about that. Just because you're a man doesn't mean you can't love ano-"

"N-no," He shakes his head, "I kn-know I can like men."

I lean back in my chair, taking a large swig of coffee before continuing to speak, "You mean you've never fallen in love before? Hey, it's okay to be inexperienced, everyone goes through it." 

Mamo stays quiet. Still, staring into the abyss of his coffee. Blank, listless almost.

"Mamo?" I cock my head.

"I did fall in love," He says flatly, not tearing his eyes from his coffee, "Once. So I'm not entirely inexperienced."

Shock sparks through me and my eyes widen in disbelief. It's hard to imagine Mamo in any kind of romantic relationship, no matter how reactive their chemistry is. That stutter, that rapid blink, the constant fidgeting. It's hard to imagine a Mamo without them. 

"Oh, really?" I bite my tongue so hard I fear I'll draw blood, "Uh, tell me about it."

A smile spreads across his face, as he finishes the coffee and pushes the mug away from him.

"I-I was quite young. About six or s-seven maybe. And I made friends with another girl in my class," He brushes a lock of his hair behind him, "N-neither of us were that popular, being the poorer ones at a private school, so we found comfort in each other, I-I guess."

"Cute," I grin.

"Yes," He nods, "Sh-she was my whole life. The only person I cared about in the world. She j-just felt like she was perfect."

"Oh," I say, "Wait, so she's waiting for you back home? That must be awfu-"

"No," Mamo practically snaps, shaking his head violently, "I-I mean, no. She isn't waiting for me."

I tilt my head, "Huh? Why? Did you fall out?"

Silence. A thick, heavy silence weighing down on my shoulders, only broken by the faint buzzing of a fly around our heads.

"She died."

The words hit me suddenly like a train, as I'm forced to take it all in at once.

The woman who Mamo loved so dearly, who he treasured and desired to protect. Dead.

"Oh my god," My words are empty with astonishment, "I-I'm so sorry. That must have been awful."

He glares at me, such an icy glare for his kind brown eyes. Yet they seem so poisoned, so bitter. 

"She was bullied. Bullied for her weight, her face, her class. She was a laughing stock, and yet they refused to see the angel she was. They're monsters, and they killed her."

That same fly lands on our table, crawling around between our mugs as it explores every angle possible. 

Until Mamo's finger presses down on its weak little body. He stares at it, an intense stare, focusing on only the fly as it squirms beneath the weight of his finger. Slowly, slowly, he pushes harder, harder on the fly, watching as it's skin splits into a mangled corpse, a carcass of an insect. And yet I can't help but look too. 

"M-mamo?" I utter, "What are you doing there?"

Suddenly, he snaps out. Out of his delusion, returning to his normal terrified look.

"H-huh?" He looks at me, weary, "O-oh god, I'm sorry. I lost control, I swear, it won't happen again! I just-"

"You like dead things?" I chuckle.

"Y-yeah," He laughs shyly, as if the last conversation has just slipped into anonymity, "I-it seems weird, but I liked dissections a lot when I was young. It got me quite fascinated

with natural forms and stuff, but I guess the childhood tendencies can skip out sometimes."

"I get it, don't worry, I kinda like squishing bugs too," I sigh, downing my remaining coffee in one, "Hey, this was kinda heavy. You want to take a walk outside? Might clear your head for a bit."

Mamo nods excitedly, his eyes gleaming with excitement, "P-Please!"

Almost as soon as the words leave my lips, he shoots out of his chair, scuttling back out into the corridor.

Scuttling away from the fear.


	18. Chapter Two - 3: Anarchy

The fresh air hits my face as the two of us leave the building, a deafening silence hanging low over our heads. Pebbles spring out from under our feet as we try to walk, our paces matched as we gradually make our way around the campus. For some reason, I feel as if I should have my arm around him, half-heartedly embracing him as we meander across the pathway. Some sort of empty comfort. But his already trembling hands would probably crumble at the slightest touch from fear. I sigh, taking in the early afternoon air. My stomach only fuelled by coffee, I feel a hunger growling inside me. But is it too late to eat now? Dinner will be in a few hours, would I spoil it by having a snack? Surely not.

"K-kihona?" Mamo looks at me, fluttering his eyelashes, "You're walking in mud."

As I snap out of my daze, I look down at my feet. To my dismay, he's right. In the midst of my thoughts, I've managed to wander right into a muddy patch of grass. Mud creeps up onto the soles of my shoes and I groan in disbelief.

_That's gonna be fun to clean._

Avoiding any further dirtying of my shoes, I step out of the grass with caution, holding onto Mamo for dear life.

"Thanks," I say, brushing off my skirt.

Before Mamo even has the chance to respond, a sharp yelling cuts him off. A feminine voice, with that sharp, familiar accent, screaming obscenities at Lord knows what.

"W-what's that?" Mamo trembles, ducking down beside a wall as he shelters his head.

"Calm down," I sigh, peering around the wall, "I'm sure it's nothing, these guys just ye-"

But it's not nothing.

Charlotte seems to be surrounded by a small gathering of people. Immediately, I see Yashira, Kuroko, Haruka, Kohi and Mitsuharu gathering around her. And another presence, a presence that instantly sets my chest alight with fear, the pounding in my heart growing stronger with every pulse.

Monokuma.

"Jesus," I inhale sharply through my teeth, turning back to Mamo, curled up in a little hedgehog ball, "Looks like it's pretty heated over there. Monokuma's with them. Maybe I should check it out."

Mamo looks up at me, "I-I'm not going, not if the bear's there. I'll go find Shiro."

"Sure thing," I say, "Was fun talking to you th-"

And yet before I can finish, he's halfway down the path, far out of earshot.

Upon his sudden exit, I dash over to the fence, their yelling growing louder and louder as I join the group.

"What the hell's going on?" I almost yell, fiddling with the sleeves of my shirt.

"Kihona!" Haruka sighs with relief as she sees me, "Maybe you can talk some sense into her."

"To who?" I raise an eyebrow.

Haruka points to Charlotte, who's burning blue eyes are fixed dead on Monokuma.

"Look 'ere, lass," Monokuma sighs, leaning against a rogue rock on the grass, "I've told you already, there's no point yellin' at me for all this shit! Don't shoot the messenger, I tell ya."

"Are you kidding me?" Charlotte spits, balling her hands into fists, "You're the exact one who's responsible for all of this. Jin and Minato died because of you."

"Charlotte," Yashira sighs. Perhaps the first time she's used her full name since we got here, "You've gone way too far, chill out for a sec."

Charlotte shakes her head, not taking her eyes off the bear, "Who's controlling you? Who the hell is behind all this? I don't like your game, bear. No one fucking does."

"She isn't wrong, though," Kohi prods his fingers together, staring at the floor.

"Well, too bad!" Monokuma giggles, "You're never gettin' out! Never, never, never! You're stuck 'ere, until death do us part!'

Mitsuharu simply stands there, watching as if he's completely unamused, completely unfazed by the scene in front of us.

"M-maybe you should tone it down a bit, Charlotte," Kuroko plays with her hair, "Have a cup of tea. Or a cookie."

"I want to make the tea!" Kohi beams, grabbing her arm.

Charlotte glares at the fence, hesitation flashing over her eyes. She looks back to us, then Monokuma, over and over again, desperately asking herself what to do. The bear only screams more and more at her, repeating the same phrases that only cut deeper every time he speaks.

_'You're never gettin' out! Never, never, never!'_

_'You're stuck 'ere, until death do us part!'_

"Charlie," Yashira grinds her teeth in her mouth, "Please, you're being dumb. Stay quiet, you could get hurt."

"She's right," Kohi cries, "You can't be violent against him or he'll kill you!"

Charlotte glares at Kohi, swiping her multicoloured hair from her face, "Nah, he can't hurt me. He's just a bear, dammit."

Mitsuharu clenches his fists, "Did you not _see_ what he did to Jin? Are you brain dead, or what?" 

Once again, Charlotte looks at her boots in defeat, as if she's lost in those bright yellow laces. Thinking.

"Fuck this," She utters, her voice almost wavering with repressed tears, "I'm not taking this anymore, I'm out. Fuck the bear, fuck this shit, and fuck you guys!"

"That's not very nice," Kuroko whimpers, "Please, Charlotte, stay with us."

"You can't get out!" Yashira almost screams, grabbing Charlotte's wrist, "Please, for fuck's sake, calm down."

Charlotte shakes her head, yanking herself free from her tough grip, "I'm going, and just you try and stop me."

Without another word, she charges towards the fence. The blurred sound of white noise and the clambering of boots seems to mask any of Monokuma's incoherent screaming, though I don't doubt it's anything more than a dramatic retelling of the rules. 

I want to cry out, I want to stop her. But I'm frozen in place, glued to the floor, stuck in this everlasting moment. Unable to move, unable to scream. Just watching in complete awe.

Each time I blink, Charlotte seems to have moved only a fraction of an inch, like some crappy flip book. But this isn't some funky doodle a six year old made.

This is real.

Haruka's expression isn't dissimilar to my own, watching her slowly grow closer and closer to the fence. Eyes wide. Jaw dropped. Quivering hands.

And then, almost in slow motion.

Her hand touches the fence.

She barely manages to climb more than an inch before the bolts surge from the fence and through to her body.  
Bright light. Sparks. 

Screams.

Her shrill voice echoes through the emptiness of Lorem. I can't even begin to imagine the pain, the torture she must feel. I can only stand there, bewildered and frightened.  
Melting plastic, singed hair, burning flesh, the three blend together into an acrid stench that I can only describe as death. The smell of it fills my nose and I can practically taste it in the back of my throat. Each second her screams continue, the bigger the lump in my throat becomes. I don't want to imagine her pain - the sheer horror planted on her face enough to show me, kicking my heart.

The giant bolts of electricity crackle around her for just a few more seconds, before her charred, mangled body drops to the floor with a thud.

I don't even have time to collect my thoughts before it all hits me.

"Jesus fuck!" Yashira cries out, dashing over to her body. Mitsuharu swats a firm arm in front of her, stopping her in her place.

"Not so fast," He eyes her suspiciously, "She's probably still electrified. Touch her and you'll get a shock."

"What the hell?" Yashira yells, slapping Mitsuharu across the face, "Why didn't you stop her? You're the fuckin' electrician, you knew she'd die."

"You mean..." Haruka's voice is barely a whisper, tears streaming down her face, "she's really dead?"

"B-b-b-bingo!" Monokuma cheers, twirling around on one leg, "And that's what ya get for disobeyin' me."

"No. This is horrible." Kuroko almost shrieks, dabbing her watery eyes with a lock of her hair, "I hate this, I hate this, I hate this!"

"Look 'ere," Monokuma sighs, shaking his round little head from side to side, "I don't know what else I'm supposed ta say, you disobey me, you suffer the consequences. Simples?"

"That wasn't a punishment, though," Kohi protests, clenching his shaky fists, "She didn't break a rule."

"Well," Monokuma says, pointing to the alarming yellow sign pinned to the fence, "Can she not read? Oh, how silly of me, she's from the south! Nobody can read down there!"

"You bastard," Yashira growls, snatching the bullets out of her pocket. She seems prepared to throw them, gleaming in her palms, but Mitsuharu's firm hands grab at her shoulder before she can make a move.

"Leave it," He says, looking deep into her eyes. Two sets of emerald eyes staring back at one another. "Unless you want to go with her?" 

Yashira stands silent, like the words have been removed from her body. The golden bullets fall from her hand, clinking together as they hit the ground. And she's frozen, just like we all had been merely a minute ago.

A group of barely adults circled around the crumpled, dead body of Charlotte Birkin. Mangled. Distorted. Mere moments ago, she had been full of life. Full of passion and anger.

Now all faded into a smoky black that shrouds her terrified face.

"Well," Yashira balls her slender hands into fists, her knuckles blisteringly white from the tension, "That's it, huh? She's gone, and now we gotta live with it."

"I-it's horrible," Kohi's words trail into nothing as they leave his mouth. 

Haruka inhales deeply as she wipes the tears from her reddened eyes.

"Dammit!" Yashira growls through clenched teeth, "We're fuckin' stuck here forever, plain 'n simple. I'm dyin' here, and so are all you fuckers."

Mitsuharu sighs, "Why insult us? We didn't kill her".

Yashira doesn't move for a moment as the air hangs thick. Scanning our horrified faces, trying to hunt us down. Singling each of us our until she storms off towards the buildings.

Haruka turns to Mitsuharu, "What the hell? Someone just died. Don't you have any compassion at all?"

I watch Mitsuharu take in her words, that stone cold, stoic expression never once moving. Like the smoothest of snakes, he's almost unreal. 

"H-hold on," Kohi stammers, playing with the string on his cape, "Mitsuharu is an electrician, ri-"

Before he can continue, a beeping sound slowly grows louder and louder. Closer and closer. Red lights flash across the floor, whirring around us as if it's hypnosis.   
And then we look up.

Monokuma is sat in what looks like a giant crane, slowly pulling Charlotte's body off the ground. She hangs limp from its long metal fingers as it drags her further and further up, before dropping her on a small metal platform attached to the vehicle.

"What the hell?" I practically spit, "What're you doing, you freak?"

Monokuma shrugs, his blue hard-hat almost sliding off his little ears, "Whaddaya want me to do? Leave her there?" 

"Just leave it, Kihona," Mitsuharu mutters, "Where were you Kohi? I'm an electrician, correct?"

Brow twitching, I watch Monokuma drive away, Charlotte's body flopping lifelessly around from the turbulence. 

_Oh my god. She's really dead._

"Y-yeah," Kohi nods, his words lost in shock, "Would you know how to wire a fence? It makes sense, is all."

Haruka seems puzzled, "What makes sense?"

_That Mitsuharu could be running this._

I don't need to hear them said aloud, but those six words ring through my ears as they thrash against my brain. I'd barely considered the prospect that there could be someone behind the scenes. Controlling every step of this horrific game of injustice. But now it seems so obvious. Now that one more person is dead.

"A mastermind," The words leave my mouth as if they're a curse.

"No way!" Haruka puffs her cheeks, "It can't be Mitsuharu. He's one of us."

Turning back to Mitsuharu, his expression is still unchanged. The idea of him being accused of something so dire, so horrendous, and he doesn't seem even slightly phased. 

"I-I'm sorry," Kohi sighs sadly, "I thought I was being smart." 

"Look, we have more important things to worry about," I say, though I'm not sure how much I mean it. "Charlotte's dead. We need to tell the others."

Almost on queue, Haruka grabs my hand and drags me towards the 1-B building. Normally, I'd stop her, refuse to cooperate with her forceful shenanigans, but I don't have the energy to refuse. Too tired. Too drained.

Too afraid.

"I can't believe it," Haruka practically takes the words from my mouth, "It's horrible. It's disgusting."

Nodding, I keep quiet, my words trapped by the gaping lump in my throat.

"I want to leave!" Haruka cries, "God, I need to get out of here!"

Again, I can't respond. I won't respond. Those words of comfort, all gone.

A blur, a vision, a mere projection of my fuzzy memories; the next few minutes fly by me like a full force gust of wind. It doesn't take long before I'm back inside, the feeling of Haruka's skin now gone. Perhaps she ran away, or perhaps she merely faded away into the abyss. Neither would surprise me.

I want to stay still, try and take in the world around me, absorb what just happened.

The yelling. 

The hammering of feet.

The sparks. The screams.

And then nothing.

"Kihona?" A smooth voice snaps me out of my hazardous daze, and I look up to see Shiro's dazzling presence. His perky expression catches me off guard, those golden cheeks still glowing with that shimmering highlight.

"Sh-Shiro?" I fumble with my sentences, bringing my trembling hands to my chest.

"In the flesh, my darling," He winks, flipping his jet black hair like silk behind his shoulder, "Now, pray tell, what on earth are you doing in the corridor? You look ever so lost, dear."

Face draining of all heat, I bite my quivering lip, "Ch-Charlotte."

Shiro cocks his head, as if encouraging me to speak on. 

"She's dead," I don't even know if the words came out coherent, or whether he even heard me at all. But the thought of repeating it again sends a kick of anxiety straight to my stomach.

The sight of his once cheery expression, so full of life and warmth, fading to a deathly shock only makes things worse, perhaps worse than keeping the secret in.

"Sh-she did what?" Shiro says, words lost in a breathy shock.

I nod, digging my teeth harder into my lip as I try to keep the tears brewing in my eyes at bay.

"Oh my," He places a delicate hand to his forehead, stumbling against a nearby wall, "I-I feel rather lightheaded."

"Tell the others," I blurt out, clutching the waistband of my skirt, "Please."

Shiro regains his posture, though his face still remains that sickly colour, "Of course, my dear. I will alert the others immediately."

His shiny black loafers clack against the hard wooden floor as he races away from the corridor, desperate to reach every student.

Once again, I'm stranded. Alone in the middle of this building, surrounded by an ocean of uncertainty. Not a bridge to cross, no stones to step on. Just a sea of injustice, with no true justice in sight. 

_Charlotte's dead._

_And we don't just have to worry about the others now._

_The mastermind is stronger than we thought._

**14 STUDENTS REMAIN...**


	19. Chapter Two - 4: Drowning Deadly Memories

As the morning streams into my dorm, it aches to open my eyelids, as if they're sealed shut with iron. Light hitting my eyes suddenly, it takes a moment for me to adjust before I roll over with a thunk. I don't know how long it's been since Charlotte's death. Perhaps a minute, a day, or even a week. Maybe we've been here for years, so adjusted to seeing one another, adapted to living in his hellhole of injustice.   
But I can't think. Thinking is too painful. My handbook rests on my bedside table, just waiting to be held again, to be turned on and used for the first time in what seems like days. I reach for it, flicking the on button as the screen lights up.

_A week to the day. A week on the dot since Charlotte's death._

A groan escapes my lips, as I practically hoist myself out of bed, trying to maintain steadiness as I adapt to the hard floor beneath me.

Removing my silk pyjamas, I step into the shower, shuddering as the sudden scorching heat hits my skin. I want to leap out from under the spray but I don't move, standing there as I let myself be scorched by the hot water. Not even bothering to shampoo, I step out as quickly as I'd got in. _Can't risk just sitting here for another four hours._ That same Lorem branded hoodie and matching pair of leggings stare back at me as I emerge from the bathroom. Crumpled in a heap on the floor, just waiting to be picked up. I sigh and slip them on. 

_A place like Lorem can't even afford cotton?_

It hits me suddenly. Why? Why can't they afford it? What stops such a luxurious university from indulging in a better material? My memories of any kind of Lorem merchandise are foggy but I'd imagine it'd scratch less on the skin.

_Perhaps the mastermind didn't even have time._

But no. I can't think about the mastermind. Brushing my thoughts away, I open the door and head to the canteen.

Expecting to see a whole swarm of people, it appears only a few of us decided to show. Yashira, Daiki, Haruka, Mamo, Shiro, Kuroko, and - strangely enough - Kohi. It's shocking to see him outside of the kitchen, normally slaving away at some kind of intricate meal that's almost too pretty to eat. Instead, he seems to be hovering outside the kitchen, staring anxiously at the door. 

"Hey there," I say, and he jumps in fright as I approach him.

"Gah!" He shrieks, recoiling, "O-oh, good morning, Kihona."

I raise an eyebrow, "Why're you lingering? You look a bit anxious there."

Kohi glances back at the kitchen door, a worried expression flashing across his eyes before he turns to me, lowering his voice to a whisper.

"Ayana's in there," He leans in close to my ear, "She's cooking and she won't let me in."

I laugh, "Really?" 

A loud crash sounds from inside the kitchen and I can't imagine what she could possibly be doing.

Shoving Kohi aside, I grasp at the door handle, preparing to make an entrance, but Kohi's boney hands grip my wrists as I try to move.

"Don't!" He cries, "She doesn't want to be interrupted, maybe we should just le-"

"Don't be ridiculous," I chuckle, "I'm sure she won't mind. And what can she do? Throw a cheese grater at me?"

My joke hasn't seemed to rub off on him too well, his wayward frown not moving. I sigh and push the door open.

Clamouring. Slamming. Crashing. Perhaps the only words that come to my mind as I enter the kitchen with a hesitant step. And rightfully so. Ayana rushes around the room at top speed, whisking some things, preparing others on baking sheets, scrambling around the kitchen as if she's running a marathon. Her silhouette isn't even recognisable, just a gold and black blur zooming around the perimeter. 

"H-hey Ayana," I laugh nervously, sliding my hands behind my back. 

Ayana turns, swift like a ninja, suddenly inches away from my face. Her sharp, brown glare pierces my chest, "Why are you interrupting me? You broke my damn mindset."

"Sorry!" I yelp, backing away from her.

"N-no," Kohi says, scratching the back of his neck as he blushes, "It's my fault, I let her in."

Ayana's once interrogative glare softens as she sees him, and something just shy of a smile creeps onto her face, "Oh, really?" She turns to me, "Sorry, I just don't like being interrupted when I'm cooking. I have to be in the right frame of mind, y'know?"

Gulping, I nod, but I don't know at all. 

Turning back to the oven, she opens the door as a tsunami of steam comes rolling out, filling the room with its warm haze. I try to waft the vapour away, but with no luck. Ayana pulls out a tray of what looks to be some kind of dessert. A crumble, a pie maybe. Something smelling of sweet cinnamon and apples, engulfing my nostrils in a scent that's all too pleasant to absorb. 

"That smells so good!" Kohi beams, watching Ayana with big bug eyes, "You're so good at cooking, Yana."

His face seems almost flushed, though clearly not from the hot steam. _Is he fond of Ayana?_

"Thanks," She shrugs, hastily grabbing a knife and slicing it into 7 squares, "There's another batch there, why don't you put it in the oven?"

She points to another dish, that most certainly hasn't been baked yet. I prepare to head over and put the damn thing in myself, but Kohi instantly charges forward, practically throwing it in the oven, "Done."

_Definitely fond of Ayana._

"Well, it's almost ready, so if you guys wanna just sit in the cafeteria while I finish this up," Ayana seems to be shooing us out, her eyes practically escorting us out of the room.

Obediently, I scurry out, followed closely by Kohi.

"So, she's the cook now?" I scoff, as Kohi gently closes the door behind him.

He nods, "I don't know why, but she seemed so desperate to take over."

"Mom complex?" I shrug, "I mean, she is an actual mom."

Kohi blushes, "That's adorable. I...wish she'd be my mom."

_Mommy kink? Or worse..._

Before I can delve any deeper into that thought, a sudden twinge in the back of my neck sends pain shooting through me as I recoil from the shock. Wincing, I rub the back of my neck, "Ow! What the hell?"

"A-are you okay?" Kohi turns pale, ignoring the other students who are beginning to file into the room, "Oh god, is it my fault? I'm so sorry."

"No, it's fine," I sigh, "Jeez, that felt like a wasp or something. But in my flesh."

Kohi's eyes light up with realisation, "Oh! I know what you mean. I've been having that problem, Yana and Shiro too. That's odd..."

I prepare to dive face-first into a whirlpool of possibilities, but I can barely confront even a single idea. Too much energy.

Time practically flies by, and a few more students seem to have arrived, the only absences being Tory, Kaso, Aki, Mitsuharu and Amai. Yet the canteen feels so much more empty than that. As if there had been 60 of us before. They're missing. Minato, Jin and Charlotte. Their seats empty, yet haunted by their looming ghostly presence, admiring us from beyond the grave.

"Hm," Shiro sighs, applying another layer of lip gloss to the millions of others underneath, "An awfully small group today. Do people not care for Ayana's meal?"

No one answers. Barely a nod, a cough, or even a shuffle. Just deadly silence. The air thickens each second longer we spend absent of noise. Staring down at the table, I notice a plate in front of me. Ayana's mystery-fruit-thing presented so delicately on such an intricate platter. Perhaps not as neat as something Kohi would make, though it doesn't strike me that this dish can be made uniformly. Haruka seems to have wolfed her's down in her own time, now staring at her feet as she moves them side to side. I sigh, lifting the fork to my mouth as I take a stingy bite from it. A whole other experience than eating normal food, almost magical, extraterrestrial. Every flavour is so strong, yet muted in the best of ways, sliding around on my tongue, desperate to be savoured more. Sour apple and the sweetness of cinnamon clouds my throat, and I just want to shovel more into my mouth.

_No wonder Haruka ate it so quickly._

I push the plate away from me, the food gone almost as quickly as it arrived. The room is silent, aside from the clinking of forks against plates, the chewing of food and the eerie quietness. Until a slamming noise sounds from the opposite end of the room.

As we all turn to face the noise, we're greeted by Ayana, her fists on the tables as she rises from her chair, intensely staring at each of us.

"I-is there a problem?" Mamo clasps his hands together, "Did we do something wrong?"

"No, don't worry," Ayana says, " We've been sitting here for weeks. So get up."

"What do you mean?" Kuroko tilts her head, standing up from her chair, "Like this? Am I doing it right?"

"Whatever," Ayana rolls her eyes, "C'mon, let's do something. Like get naked."

"O-oh," Haruka blushes, "You mean like...going swimming? There's a pool, I guess. That could be fun."

"I mean, if that's what you _really_ meant, I'm up for it," I shrug. 

"Huh," Ayana sighs, "Good enough for me. Let's do it."

Kohi groans, "Already? Hm, I'm too tired to swim."

"If you wanna stay, you can," Ayana says, her tone noticeably more gentle. 

Kohi shakes his head, "N-no. I'll come."

We watch her leave - Kohi trailing her - astounded, bewildered, no thoughts clogging my mind. Plans thrown at us so suddenly, as we all stand still deciding whether or not to comply.

"A swimming session, then?" Haruka beams, "Hey, awesome! I could get down for some exercise right now."

"I don't see why not," Daiki shrugs, "D'ya think the others will care?"

"Oh, bother," Shiro tuts, shaking his head, "Leave them to come in their own time. I want to have some fun."

* * *

The changing room doors are a sleek, hard metal, painted pink or blue according to either male or female - plus another door painted grey, perhaps for disabled or gender-neutral access. Some of the other students seem to have joined in their own time; Aki stands closely behind Kuroko, along with Amai who arrived with her. Mitsuharu seems to be lingering, plus the unfortunate addition of Kaso. 

But someone is still missing. 

"Did anyone see Tory?" I glance around the group nervously, trying to find any sign of her. But to no avail.

Yashira sighs, "Knocked on her door. She yelled at me, so I left."

"What's up with her?" Daiki sighs.

Amai narrows her eyes, "It's not like three people just died or whatever." 

Abruptly, she swings the door open to the women's changing room, charging inside with the utmost purpose. The rest of the girls seem to take a collective shrug, sauntering after her and into the changing room. Mildew and chlorine; the two scents that immediately invade my nostrils. As I slide my feet out of my shoes, the cold, damp tile makes contact with my feet and I shudder. It's a somewhat large room, lined with benches and coat hooks for the bags and coats we don't have. A small row of lockers has been pushed against the far wall, stacked high with fluffy white towels and stuffed with nine blue duffel bags. It saddens me to think one of those will go unused, its rightful owner not once coming to retrieve it. Groaning, I walk to my designated peg, pulling out what seems to be a blue branded swimsuit, tightly packed in plastic. I tear open the packaging, pulling it out, and my expectations aren't surpassed in any way. 

_Just a plain old swimsuit._

I look anxiously between the girls. Haruka seems to already be half undressed, stepping into her swimsuit with an undeniable grin on her face. Amai seems desperate to hide, building up a wall of clothes, shrinking her bare body away from the rest of the girls. Flush forms on her cheeks, as if she's so keen to not be seen by them. To not be seen by anyone. 

Glancing back to my own swimsuit, I undress as quickly as possible and step into it, pulling the straps over my shoulders with a snap. 

"Are you done?" A little voice croaks and I look down to see Aki, already dressed and ready to go. Kuroko stands close behind her, seeming to also be ready, yet something is off about her.

She notices my odd stares, "What? Is something wrong? Did I do something wrong?"

"N-no!" I stammer, trying to avoid her worried eyes, "Sorry, I'm just not used to seeing you without your glasses."

Her once big blue eyes now seem so much smaller without those big round lenses in front of them. So much like Tory, it's as if they were part of her skin, such an important piece to her whole demeanour. Though it's not like she isn't sweet-looking. 

"Oh, I forgot I took them off," That warm smile returns to her face, "But I'm ready to go. How about you, Aki?" 

Aki nods attentively, grabbing fistfuls of Kuroko's mountain of hair. Before either of them can speak, a sharp, petulant voice cuts off any kind of communication.

"You," The voice whines, as Amai emerges from the back of the two girls. She points a long fingernail at Kuroko, eyes bright with venom, "You're coming with me."

Aki grows weary, "Huh? What are you talking about? Does Kuroko have fleas?"

Amai rolls her eyes, "See what I mean? I don't want to hang out with her. She's literally gross." 

Kuroko looks between the two, bewilderment plastering her face. She seems utterly lost in their words, as if she's watching them bounce back and forth like a tennis rally. 

"That's really harsh, Amai," I sigh, patting Aki's head as some meek form of comfort, "Aki's not gross." 

Amai puckers her lips, narrowing her eyes at me, "Butt out. C'mon, Kuro. We're besties now, kay?"

Kuroko beams, "Besties! Bye, Aki. I'll see you around, okay?"

As the two leave, Aki and I are left alone in the changing room. 

"You okay?" I look down at the small girl, as she stares blankly at the floor. Lost. Confused. Her friend being ripped away from her, and being degraded at the same time. All at once, hitting her like a truck. She takes one long, puppy dog glance at me, before dashing out of the changing room in a flash.

* * *

By the time I reach the pool area, it's already bustling with activity. Water splashing all over the room, the passionate yelling which could only be coming from someone like Yashira.

I'm just about to submerge my toes under the crystal blue waters before I notice Kohi, sitting at the edge of the pool, knees pulled to his chest. He stares longingly as the water ripples before him, as if he's watching them move so wistfully. 

"Hey," I grin, stepping down into the pool. It's warm, but not so much that it heats up my body. Just pleasant, like a bath that's been untouched for an hour, "What's up? Why aren't you getting in?"

Kohi seems alarmed as he hears my voice, turning to me in a flash, "Oh, Kihona. Sorry, I shouldn't get in, it's not very good for me."

"How come?" I cock my head, resting my arms on the side of the pool. 

He flicks the water with his gaunt fingers, watching the little droplets fly across the pool, "I have brittle bones. They're pretty weak, and if I hit my leg or something, it'd probably break." 

It doesn't exactly come as a surprise to me, his body is so skinny and lifeless, it's as if he can barely hold his own weight. 

He looks back to me, "Sometimes I walk around on a crutch or something to keep me up. Luckily, I don't need one right now. I'll be careful."

Nodding, I look down into the depths of the water. It only just reaches my waistline, a guarantee since I'm only stood in the shallow end. Kohi seems to be staring very intently into the distance, watching something with a hawk-like gaze. 

Ayana.

He stares at her, as she lounges by the side of the pool, her elbows resting on the poolside as her legs dangle freely in the water. She stares blankly at the ceiling as if she's analysing every panel, every small stain that's tainted the bright white over the years. A smile creeps across Kohi's lips as he watches her.

"Why Ayana?" I blurt out, and Kohi instantly flushes red.

"W-what?" His eyes widen, "I-it's not what it looks like! I just tend to stare a lot, I'm so-"

"You don't have to hide it," I chuckle, "I saw you this morning. You're fond of her."

Kohi sighs sadly, rubbing his skinny arms, "You're mean, Kihona."

I laugh out loud, "Don't be so sad. Now answer my question. She's not the nicest, what do you see in her?"

Gulping, he releases all the tense air from his chest, "Well, she's beautiful. She really is. And she's nice to me, nicer than anyone here."

My jaw practically drops into the water below me, "Nice? She must have her favourites."

He nods, "I dunno, I guess because I'm kinda weak, she just wants to take care of me. Same with Aki."

Suddenly, he grabs my arm, looking deeply into my eyes, "Please, Kihona, give her a chance. She wants to open up, but she's probably just scared. We all are. We all need to understand each other better, and we'll be a proper team then."

With a hint of resignation, I nod, unsure about my own decisions, "Yeah, okay. I'll do my best."

A sudden silence falls over the two of us, and I take it as the end of the conversation. With slow, graceful strokes, I swim away, growing closer to the centre of the pool. I feel as if I could float aimlessly, just lie weightless on this body of water. Drift away from the world, be at peace with my thoughts. Perhaps every hour of this disastrous game will just pass by me like a leaf in the wind, or maybe I'll float away to some mysterious land.  
At least, that's what I'd want.

_Thunk._

I bonk right into something. Something hard, grounded to the floor like a rock.

_The side of the pool? One of the ladders?_

I look up, only to see Mitsuharu looming over me. He rests casually by the side of the pool, arms tucked neatly behind his back as he flips his hair out of his eyes. Quite suave. Almost enticing.

"What're you doing?" He raises an eyebrow, though he seems almost amused, "Having a sleep?"

"N-no," I spring to attention, splashing water everywhere as it hits him straight in the face.

He recoils, keen to protect his eyeliner.

"Oh god, I'm sorry!" I panic suddenly, "I-I didn't mean to-"

"Look, it's okay," He tuts, his lip curling into almost a smile. _So close yet so far._

I look at him, "How come you're just sitting here alone? Don't you want to talk to anyone?"

He shrugs, "This sort of stuff isn't my thing. I never liked gym class as a kid, organised sport makes me want to die."

I chuckle, "I mean, sort of makes sense. But you have friends here, right? You're not alone, I'm guessing."

Mitsuharu pauses briefly, "I don't really need friends here, I can entertain myself."

"You sound edgy as hell. It's good to have allies," I say firmly, "Acting all aloof will only turn people on you, you should try being more involved."

"Guess so," He takes a deep sigh.

I stare into those dazzling green eyes, holding my hand out to him, "We're friends."

He seems surprised, eyeing me up and down with his judging gaze, "What do you mean? Is this some sort of truce?"

"Yes," I nod, "We're a team now. You, me and Haruka. We're gonna make this work."

He chuckles softly, though it seems so disingenuous, so false, "You're really desperate, huh? Sure, I guess. I'll keep an eye on you."

* * *

It doesn't feel like hours have passed. More like minutes, barely even moments. And yet it's already halfway into the afternoon. The pool by now is empty, rather the changing rooms and showers bustling with action. I make the decision not to use the shower, after yanking the curtain open to reveal little spores of mildew and grime that could've been here for months. Hastily, I dry myself off, slipping back into the hoodie and leggings from this morning. Most of the girls seem rather enthused, apart from Ayana, who seems almost sedated from relaxing in the pool. But I can't tear my stare away from Aki, as she gawks longingly at Kuroko and Amai, her face saddening every time they speak or walk past her. The thought of her loneliness dwells in my mind as I tie my damp hair back into a low ponytail. I pack my damp swimsuit into my designated duffel bag, swinging it over my shoulder as I head out of the changing room doors.

Before I can make my way down to my dorm, two figures block my path, idling slowly down the corridor, deep in conversation. They seem too invested in their own chat to even notice I'm here, waiting patiently for them to move.

"Mitsuharu," I say, almost as an annoyed sigh, but I bite my lip. Can't go pissing off my new friend of sorts, "Daiki. Could you both move? I need to get past."

The two of them turn to me in surprise, instantly stepping out of the way to let me through. 

I smile at them, "What brings you two together then?"

Mitsuharu's eyes flash between the two of us, shifting as if he's not keen to tell me, but Daiki intervenes.

"Yeah, we just got talking in the locker rooms," He shrugs, "Nothing weird. Just asked him what sorta music he likes."

Mitsuharu nods but keeps quiet. 

_Is he telling the truth? What's going on between them?_

I shrug, and start to walk along with them at a snail's pace, mindlessly spouting small talk at each other like we've been familiar for years. It feels so second nature as if I've known these people my entire life.

"Stop! Stop right there!"

That ever so recognisable voice cuts us off. That whiny, scratchy voice. 

"Monokuma?" Mitsuharu steps back in alarm, clutching the strap of his duffel bag, "Why are you here?"

"Stop dead in yer tracks, lads," Monokuma's eyes glow red with a furious fire, "You've stolen somethin' from the changing rooms, I know you have! Hand it over here or you'll get the spear!" 

"Geez!" Daiki hisses, throwing his duffel bag to the group, "We didn't take anything, look through and we'll prove it."

I stand bewildered, unsure whether or not the bear is addressing me too. Though he doesn't seem to retaliate when I keep ahold of my bag. He starts to rummage through both of their bags, eventually uncovering two white towels, slightly damp from the pool water. 

"Were we not supposed to take those?" Mitsuharu raises a pierced eyebrow.

"Bloody hell you weren't!" Monokuma yells, bundling the towels up into his little paws, "I'm takin' these back to where they belong. And no more pool for the both of you. If I catch you in there again, you'll feel even more of my wrath!"

With that, the bear bounces away, the towels still tight in his arms.

The three of us stare blankly at where the bear had once been, trying to take everything in at once. 

"Well," Daiki shrugs, "At least we didn't die. I'm gonna head off and find Kaso, kay? See you tomorrow?"

Mitsuharu nods, "Sure, if he doesn't hoard your attention all day. Seriously, that man is a nightmare."

Daiki smirks a little, "Nah, he's chill. Anyways, I'll be going."

He jogs down the corridor in an eager manner, as if he's desperate to find Kaso.

Mitsuharu turns back to me, that usual stoic face slightly more loose than normal. He raises his eyebrows, as if that's his own half-hearted version of a smile.

"I wanted to tell you something," He says, picking at what's left of his nail polish, "Since we're friends, apparently."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," I say, "We're allies, we don't have to be buddy-buddy. Now, what did you want to say?"

He leans in close to me, his voice lowering to a quiet murmur, out of earshot to anyone passing by, "There's a window in the boys' changing room. Quite a big one, probably just big enough to squeeze a person through. Leads to the outside of the campus. Does the girls' have that?"

I cock my head, "Not from what I recall."

"Ah," He nods, turning away from me, "Keep it in mind, I suppose."

I grin, "I guess that makes sense."

He turns back around, staring back at me with his poisonous eyes. A suddenly dark gaze, like he's staring to the back of my skull. "You never know where that might come in handy."


	20. Chapter Two - 5: Second Coming of Murder

They say that swimming is probably one of the most tiring exercises. And the aching in my joints as I slowly drift out of my deep sleep seems to prove that saying entirely correct. Each movement sends pain shooting through me. I've clearly pulled something in my right leg but, trying to ignore the discomfort, I pull myself out of my bed and start to get ready for the day. As always, I brush through my hair in preparation to wash it. The chlorine from yesterday leaves it scraggly, as if I'm combing through straw, but I have to persist. Slowly, I unbutton the silk white shirt of my pyjama set and slide off the bottoms, folding them both and placing them neatly on my unmade bedsheets. _I'll succumb to that pain later._ I let down my strawberry blonde locks from the ponytail I had kept them in overnight, the wispiness of each hair tickling my bare skin.

I'm just about to step in the shower. Before I hear a knock on my door. A desperate and panicked knock. Like they're begging to see me. Like it's so important they have to speak to me at this very moment.

_This can't be good._

Heart pumping in my chest, I throw my pyjamas back on, crying out to the person as I reassure them I'm coming. As I stumble over the clothes on my floor, I throw the door open. I don't even have time to register who it is before they fling themselves into my arms, engulfing me in a tight hug. Their arms wrap around my waist, as they bury their head in my chest, sobbing.

"Haruka?" I say, looking down at her purple space buns, "What happened? Is everything okay?"

Haruka doesn't uncover her face, remaining nestled between the buttons on my pyjamas, "Thank god you're okay! I-it's horrible..."

"What's horrible?" I feel my heart beat more rapidly, slamming against my rib cage, "God, what happened?"

"Someone's dead!" She screams, her sobs growing louder as she drops to her knees in a distraught mess.

Panic shoots through my brain, a splitting headache already forming. My heart drops to my stomach and I don't know how long my legs will keep my weight.

_Someone can't be dead. It's not true._

"Who?" I say, slamming my dorm room door behind me, "Where?"

"The pool." Another voice says, a sound that should be so smooth, so captivating, but only distorted by the cracking of his voice. Shiro stands, his breaths sharp and shallow. His face is so sickly pale, as if all the life has been drained from him. But yet I can feel a sickness brewing in my stomach. A sick, nervous feeling, burning through me. 

I have to run there. 

Without thinking for another second, I dart down the corridor. My bare feet tap against the hard wooden floor. I don't look back once. I ignore Haruka and Shiro's cries protesting for me to stop. I just keep running. Out onto the concrete, the stones piercing the skin under my feet. But I keep going, the cold air blowing on my face as I charge across campus.

"A body has been discovered!" The loudspeaker screeches to life, its noise radiating across the campus with a deadly echo, "You will now receive an allotted time of three hours to gather evidence for a class trial! Find the killer! Bring justice! Happy investigatin'!"

_Damn, that bear._

The announcement sends another chill down my spine as I burst through the doors of the Entertainment Building, scrambling up the stairs to the second floor. Tiles line the floor, and I know I'm merely metres away from a tragedy. A dead body. I race through the locker rooms and into the pool, to be greeted by a sizeable group of people. Mitsuharu appears to have just run in from the boys' locker room, leaning against the wall to catch his breath. Perhaps he'd been desperately running here like me, needing to see the body. Needing to know.

"What's happened?" His voice is raised much louder than usual, an almost shocking tone that would seem so out of place in any other situation, "Who's dead?"

Kuroko spins around, grasping Aki's hand delicately as tears stream down her face, "I-I don't know. I can't see who it is."

As I peer into the pool, a grey murky figure lies, distorted by the ripples of the water. Lying there. Dead. Alone. Stranded. The sick feeling in my stomach rises again as the adrenaline in my finally begins to settle. But I want to throw up. Throw up all this anxiety. Mitsuharu leans closer to the shadow, narrowing his eyes. Something gleams beneath the shadow, a glint of metal tucked under them. A heavy block of metal.

He turns to Kuroko, "Drain the pool."

She seems puzzled, letting go of Aki's hand in surprise, "W-what? I don't know how."

"I said drain the damn pool!" He yells, almost snarling at her. Kuroko yelps, scampering away like a frightened bunny. Crashing sounds the moment she leaps into the cupboard, each thud of some float toy sending a tidal wave of anxiety to my heart. 

And then a loud alarm. Ringing through the pool room, its piercing echo shooting around the room like a dart. It blares through the speakers, the red lights mounted on the tile walls flashing a menacing red. As I slam my palms over my ears, I watch as the water slowly starts to drain from the pool. The other students are probably yelling something, but the shrill cries of the alarm penetrate deep into my ears.

_I can't look. I can't think._

Some of the others rush into the pool area, just as bewildered as the rest of us. And yet that same murky figure in the water still lies there. Still, deadly still, those giant metal blocks still tied to them. As each new face comes into the room, I feel my bottomless anxiety growing larger and larger. Ayana, Yashira, Kohi, Daiki. The possibilities as to who it could be grow narrower and narrower.

Until the alarm stops. The water drains. Horror fills the room.

Tory.

Her limbs are weighted down by four iron blocks, tied to each end of her. That once peachy face is now a sickly blue, her eyes devoid of colour and life. Spears have been shoved into every crevice of her boy; where it fits, a spear ruptures through her flesh.

And she's dead. Dead at the bottom of the pool.

"Tory!" Mitsuharu grunts, leaping into the empty pool and dashing to her body, "Oh my god."

Haruka cries out in fear, grabbing my arm hastily as she pulls me closer to her, "Oh god, it's happening again! I can't look."

I glance at Mitsuharu, who's already examining Tory's lifeless corpse. I can't even begin to imagine the cold feeling of her body, the horror of her face up close. I don't want to. But I have to.

"Heh," A familiar scoff catches my ear, and I whirl to see Kaso. He claps rather half-heartedly, smirking with that devilish curl I'm all too aware of. A smirk that makes me want to gouge his eyes out.

"Little bitch had it comin'," He sighs, slouching against the wall, "If she's gonna throw a tantrum just because she didn't get this whole 'justice' thing, then she kinda got what was comin'."

Trying to keep my twitching hands and thumping heart at bay, I glare at him, fire in my eyes.

"H-how could you say that?" Kuroko cries, emerging from the pool cupboard, "She didn't deserve anything, that's a horrible thing to say."

Kaso raises an eyebrow, before he erupts into laughter, "Damn, since when could the bimbo talk? She just learned?"

Tears well in her eyes, brushing against her pale face as they float down her cheeks, "I'm not stupid for knowing Tory didn't deserve to die! You're heartless and cold, you know that?"

Before she can say anymore, Kaso lunges for her, snatching her by the tie as he reels her in inches from his nose. Her face turns blue with fear, as her glasses fall to the floor, the lenses cracking as they hit the tile. 

"What fuckin' good would that woman do locked in her room all day? Will the world go to shit now she's gone? No. She was just another fuckin' cumstain, just like all of you. None of you matters, and she's one of you."

His words linger in the air, mingling with the silence that falls between us. 

"Shut up!" Kuroko screams, the sudden shrillness of her voice catching me off guard, "Shut your god damn mouth! Shut it now!"

Kuroko swipes him across the face with her acrylic claws, a blind swipe at him as she seems to stumble without her glasses. She aims her knee for his crotch, but misses rather spectacularly and falls to the floor.

"Kuroko!" Aki wails, scrambling towards Kuroko. She grabs her by the shoulders with her twig arms, trying with such resilience to hoist her off the ground. And yet her efforts are fruitless. 

"Oops," Kaso shrugs, "Musta walked into my fist." 

Tears run from Kuroko's eyes, a fresh line of blood trickling from her lips, "You monster! You're a monster!" 

Mamo and Shiro both dash over in unison, lifting Kuroko off the ground with a gentle pull, resting her between them. 

Shiro sighs, "Forget that hideous man, we have other priorities."

Kaso raises an eyebrow as they leave, waiting for a few moments until their voices die down. He promptly slips out of the room, not once daring to look back at us. 

"Damn, what a complete dick," Yashira scoffs.

"That's all you can say?" Kohi puffs his face.

"Don't you think we have bigger priorities right now?" Mitsuharu snaps from behind us, as we all turn to him kneeling over Tory's corpse, "Leave Kuroko be, she's not dead, is she?"

I fiddle with my buttons, "Yeah, Mitsuharu's right, guys. We need to focus on this right now, seriously. Someone died."

"I still don't think this shit is real," Daiki groans, leaning against the wall as if he's phased out of existence. Like his soul has left his body, just a hollow husk of a human. 

"This _is_ real," Mitsuharu hisses, "She was one of the only ones out of you who had her shit together, so stop running around like chickens and help."

"I agree too," Aki nods, patting her knees as if she doesn't truly understand the weight of the situations. Of her surroundings.

"Then, I guess we start," Ayana says, twirling her hair around her finger.

* * *

I try to maintain my balance as I step down the metal ladder and into the pool, each step sending another screeching creak around the room. I jump down onto the pool's surface, the damp instantly transferring to my shoes.

Mitsuharu already seems to be analysing every inch of Tory's body. I can't bear to look, and I feel vomit in my throat. But I need to do this.

We did it last time.

We can do this again. 

"See anything?" I clear my throat nervously as I step towards Mitsuharu. 

He doesn't answer me, rather pulling one of the spears from her abdomen. It's a huge thing, easily more than an inch in diameter, and rather long. Long enough to kill someone.

Ignoring me further, he glances up at the ceiling, his eyes transfixed on a metal ceiling plate I'd never taken notice of. It sticks out like a sore thumb against the pure white tiles, as if it was put there on purpose. 

"I need to go," He says, "Go around and gather testimonies, I guess. I have something I need to look at."

"What?" I cock my head, "Why?"

"Just said," He says briefly, "Now go."

As he tries his best to not slip on the wet pool surface, he stumbles out onto the poolside. I shrug, not bothering to question his intentions, and climb out myself. 

_I'm not poking around her dead body._

Before I even think about speaking to another student, I whip out my handbook and turn to the newly updated Monokuma file. 

"Time of death was about 2:30," I mumble to myself, my heart racing as I swipe my finger across the touchscreen.

_'Cause of death: Asphyxiation'_

"Huh?" I exclaim, loud enough to grab the attention of some of the students.

"What's wrong, Kiki?" Haruka asks me, her tone dead and dry.

"Those spears," I say, turning back to her body, now being attended to by Mamo and Aki, "They weren't the cause of death. She choked to death. So what are the spears for?"

Haruka taps her chin, "Maybe to disguise the real cause of death? I guess that makes sense."

I try to stop and think, each thought floating aimlessly through my head like a lost balloon. But I feel that balloon deflating almost instantly, slowly floating down and into a tree, never to be seen again.

"Yo, I found something!" A masculine voice exclaims from inside the cupboard, a voice that can only belong to Daiki. 

Haruka and I dash to the pool cupboard, flinging the door open. The dim yellow light casts over Daiki, as he proudly holds one of the duffel bags in his hands. 

"Oh damn," Haruka widens her eyes, "Cool! Anything inside?"

Daiki promptly yanks the zip open, dumping its contents onto the ground. A blur of objects flies onto the poolside, clattering as they fall.

A plastic bag; long, thin, and completely empty. Though it doesn't seem particularly old, as if it's brand new. Stacks and stacks of cotton also fall out of the bag, torn and shredded.

And the gleam of metal from beneath them.

Two fresh kitchen knives. Sharpened and ready to cut.

I gulp as Daiki rummages through the pile, uncovering not much else. But the knives remain clear in my mind.

"Oh god," Haruka's skin turns sickly, "B-but why the knives? She died of asphyxiation."

"Lord knows," I say, "Red herring? Or maybe it was the cotton balls."

"Shit," Daiki raises his eyebrows, "I know where these are from?"

Haruka cooks her head, "You mean that?"

"Uh, duh?" Daiki sighs, "Yo, Amai! Need you over here."

My gaze turns around simultaneously with Haruka, eyes falling on Amai who's already running up to greet us. She doesn't seem particularly pleased but smiles eagerly when she sees Daiki. Such a fake, plastic smile I'd take joy in wiping off her sour face.

"Daiki!" She grins, "What's going on? You found a man yet?"

Daiki narrows his eyes, throwing his hood over his head, "Shut up. But you remember what happened last night, huh? When we were in the kitchen with Aki and Kuroko?"

"You hung out with those guys?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Duh!" Amai flicks her hair behind her shoulder, "Every girl group needs a gay best friend! It's like, totally necessary."

"So you only think of him as being gay?" I sigh again. 

"That's not important," Haruka grumbles, balling her hands into fists, "Anyways, what did you guys see?"

"We saw Tory," Daiki lowers his voice to a whisper, "She came in and took a knife. Didn't even try to hide it, just took it and dipped." 

"Seriously?" I have to stop my jaw from dropping, "Didn't you try to stop her?"

"Of course," Amai picks at her nails, "Ran after her like a god damn hyena, but she shut herself away again."

"We just thought she took it for protection, I guess. Y'know, being a bit..." Daiki knocks on his head, as if to signify something, but I don't particularly care to translate it.

"It looks used," Haruka taps her chin, "There are little scuff marks on it, and I don't think it's from cooking."

"Are we saying there was a struggle?" Daiki straightens his headband, "Maybe Tory was tryna escalate shit?"

"Kohi Sasaki."

Amai speaks very suddenly, holding the duffel bag as she stares at it, fascinated. All eyes in the room land on her. 

"Wh-what?" Kohi peers around Ayana's arm, his eyes teary, "Did I do something wrong?" 

"Fuck yeah you did!" Amai bursts into wheezes of laughter, "This is your bag! You killed Tory, and you made it too easy!"

"What do you mean?" Ayana narrows her eyes, "Show proof."

"Sure," Amai smirks. She flips the bag around to reveal a name embroidered in beautiful gold lettering. 

Surely enough. It reads Kohi Sasaki. 

"I can't read," Aki grumbles, pulling her scrawny knees to her neck. She seems so lonely, so lost without Kuroko. Eventually, she stumbles to her feet and walks out of the room, barely managing to keep herself in a straight like.

_What in the world could be up with that girl?_

"Seriously?" Yashira says, "So, it was the lil' maggot?"

"Don't call me that!" Kohi starts to cry, dabbing his eyes with his jacket sleeve, "I-I don't know how that got there, y-you have to believe me! I-I-I-I-I-"

"Let me handle this, kid," Ayana sighs, gently stepping in front of him, "Kohi has an airtight alibi. He was with me the whole of last night looking for his handbook. Simple as."

"I don't think you're telling the truth," Amai smirks, "We saw him come in the kitchen too, and you sure as hell weren't there."

"So that's when he grabbed the knife?" Daiki says, "And then he killed Tory!"

I shake my head furiously, as if I'm trying to shake away their words, "Look, let's just stop throwing out accusations! There's still probably evidence to find. We need to keep going."

My words cut through the nose like soft butter, but yet I still feel the anxiety falling down upon us, as if the whole sky could just tumble down.

There's no way Kohi would do this. Never.


	21. Chapter Two - 6: Our Lost Symbol of Justice

I can't shake that horrible feeling that irks the back of my brain as I make my way around the poolside, opening random drawers in some desperate scramble to find any evidence. The world moves around me like the bustling high streets, yet I feel my body move at a snail's pace. Stranded. Isolated. Alone.

It's hard to imagine Kohi's frail arms ending someone's life. Those scrawny little fingers would probably crack under the weight of a feather, let alone a knife. Or the weight of a fully grown woman. As I trace my finger along the wall, I jump in fright as I scrape my nail against a rough surface. Much rougher than the usual tiles. Turning to the wall, I notice a rather large dent, the surrounding wall cracked from the impact. And smaller marks around it, almost like scratches. Carvings.

"This is where she died," I say, my words hollow.

"Huh?" Haruka tries to peer over my shoulder, "Those markings, right? You're sure?" 

I nod, "We'd need to assess her injuries before we make any firm conclusions, but I'm pretty sure this is where she was attacked. 

"And the dent?" Haruka asks, "What do you think that's about?"

My words trail off as she says this, no thoughts filling my head. No ideas. No nothing.

After an awkward silence, Haruka finally speaks again, "God, it's so weird to think Tory actually took a knife. Poor girl, she must have been so scared."

Her rambling continues as we head to the men's changing room - it had been so considerately unlocked by Monokuma for investigation purposes. 

Taking a quick look around the room, everything seems to be mostly intact, apart from the piles and piles of duffel bags spilling out from the locker and onto the floor. All the boys' duffel bags. Except for Kohi's.

"All the towels seem to be stacked," Haruka says, peering into the top shelf of the locker, "Five, six, seven. Yup. All of them are still there."  
"I guess we can assume those weren't tampered with then," I say, more to myself than anyone else. 

Before I can drift off into thought, the sound of crying fills the room. A soft cry, clearly belonging to a man. 

I whirl to see Kohi standing close to Ayana, holding his wet cheeks in his hands as he sobs. Ayana seems particularly uncomfortable, merely patting his back for support.

"I-I swear!" He whines, "I didn't do anything, this is horrible!"

"Kohi," I say flatly as they both enter, trying my best to sound sympathetic, "It's fine, we just need more conclusive evidence."

"Dude," Yashira grunts, trailing in after them, "What's more conclusive than that? It's his duffel bag."

"Yashi's kinda right," Haruka rubs her arm, "I mean, it seems obvious, but we have to go with the most likely option, y'know?"

Yashira raises an eyebrow, "Did you just call me Yashi?" 

"Sorry."

"You have to believe me!" He sobs, burying his face in Ayana's chest, an awkward placement to say the least, though he doesn't seem remotely bothered. 

"Look, calm yourself down," Ayana sighs, patting his head, "You're digging yourself into a deeper hole if you keep crying."

"You two were definitely together the whole time, then?" I ask.

Ayana brushes her hair from her face, "No. he left me for about 10 minutes, said he had to use the bathroom. And apparently Daiki and Amai saw him in the kitchen."

"I-I'm sorry I lied," Kohi's lip quivers, "I-I mean...I went to the bathroom, yes. But I lied to the others and said we were together the whole time. I'm so sorry."

"What the hell were you two even doing?" Yashira says, slouching on one of the changing room benches, clearly not even slightly invested in the investigation, "Don't tell me you two are a thing."

Kohi blushes as Ayana continues to speak, "He lost his handbook. Said it just went missing, so we spent all night looking for it. Ended up turning up at his door at around 3 anyway, so we just wasted our time in retrospect."

"Interesting," I mumble to myself."

"Anyway," She continues, "We're not just here to cry. We have some important information."

"Oh?" Haruka's eyes light up with interest.

"We heard a noise," Kohi says, wiping his teary eyes with his sleeve, "At around the time of death. It was really faint, and we weren't concerned about it, but it sounded a lot like the pool alarm that went off just then."

"We ran into Amai and her group too," Ayana says, "They said they heard something similar."

"And Kaso too," Kohi says.

"Yeah. Him."

"That's interesting," I say.

"B-but it was weird," Kohi says, straightening his back like there's a string in his head, "It was so...quiet. Like, nowhere near as loud as it was just then."

Ayana nods, as if to conclude his statement.

"I see," I look away from them, taking a final scan of the room, "Wow, there's kind of a draft in here, huh?"

"Tell me about it," Yashira shudders. I feel the cold air against my skin, as if the biting winter has drifted into the changing room, "Is there a window open in here or somethin'?"

Kohi scuttles around the corner of the changing room, his eyes widening as he sees it.

The window Mitsuharu was talking about. Wide open. 

"Oh damn," Ayana plays with her earrings, "Someone got out."

"Probably the killer, right?" Haruka says, "It leads out onto the courtyard, it would be a pretty good escape." 

I want to respond to her, but Mitsuharu's words from yesterday replay in my head like a scratched record.

_'You never know where that might come in handy.'_

"But what does that mean?" My thoughts manage to escape my brain and out of my mouth, as confused looks spread across the group. 

"What are you talking about?" Ayana raises an eyebrow. Her sharp expression and her soft tone blend into something I almost can't comprehend. But it's almost like she's trying desperately to be nice. To be more lenient.

"I'm leaving," She continues, examining her surprisingly intact black acrylic nails, before storming out of the room as Kohi trails behind her. 

* * *

"Damn," Daiki shrugs as his head reads from the pool cupboard again, "This place is a mess."

The remaining three of us emerge from the changing room, wedging the door open with a stray block of rubber. Daiki is still peering into the cupboard, staring cluelessly at the state of the floor. Clipboards, pens, pool floats; all strewn across the floor like an empty candy bar. 

"This killer must be blind as fuck," He groans, "Seriously, there's a god damn light switch!"

Haruka sighs, "Why would they even go in there?"

"Duh," Amai rolls her eyes, "The emergency fill button is in there. They gotta get to it somehow."

"Makes sense, I guess," I say. 

Suddenly, the thought of an autopsy floats back into my mind. Assessing Tory's injuries is perhaps the most vital thing at the moment. Knowing what lead to her death. 

I whirl my head around, turning to the empty pool, "Hey, Mamo, are you-"

Her body is gone. The position of her body merely replaced with those same weights that held her down.

"H-hey!" I widen my eyes, gripping the fabric of my pyjamas, "Mamo, where did you take her?"

A clatter from inside the girls' changing room, before the scuffing of leather shoes against the floor. Mamo's head pops out from around the door, his once weary expression now replaced with a stoic face, unmoving and cold. 

"Come on in," He cocks his head, his voice eerily monotonous. Something about that look in his eyes seems so forced, yet dead set ahead of him. As if he's in the zone. Totally focused on his autopsy.

I grit my teeth and step inside the girls' changing room, my gaze darting between the door and Haruka.

Tory's dead body should be such a familiar sight by now. Spending the past hour wandering around, trying our best to uncover her killer. And yet that sinking feeling hasn't quite set in. _She's dead._

The sight of her blue lips and pale, dejected face makes my blood run cold, my heart doused in an icy sensation. She's been stripped of her clothes, her body only kept decent by towels draped across her chest and thighs. 

Bruises and little cuts cover her whole body, besides the gaping wholes from those spears, making me shudder at the sight.

"Welcome," Aki grins, her voice so much more croaky than before, "Welcome to my lair! Today we will be dissecting this old lady and making her into soup!"

She giggles mercilessly, poking at Tory's lifeless flesh. Mamo seems just as intrigued, staring in awe at her face.

"Wh-why are you guys so into this?" Haruka edges to the door, pressing her back against the wall.

"S-sorry," Mamo shakes his head, "It's just fascinating. How animals change as they die. I think nature is truly beautiful.

"That's not the point of the investigation," I roll my eyes, ducking down next to Tory's body. I want to throw up, but try my absolute best to analyse. 

"Welp," Aki scratches under her eyepatch, "If only Cthulhu and Lucifer could see this. Anyway, Mamo thinks that they had a stru...a struggie..a strug-"

"A struggle," Mamo quickly intervenes, "Yes, that's what we're inclined to believe. The bruises are scattered fairly randomly, so it's safe to assume she was beaten quite badly."

Mamo gently grasps her stiff corpse, turning her to lie on her front. The bruises are still very much present, but Mamo draws my eye to her neck.

A large, red mark. 

"Oh," Haruka widens her eyes, "That explains the asphyxiation, I guess." 

"I-indeed," Mamo nods, batting his eyelids, "It's a fairly large mark. Probably about the size of a knee or an elbow. I-I believe the killer probably used their body to put pressure on her neck, and she struggled to breathe. And she died..." 

"Mamo," Aki's eyes glisten like a puppy, "Can we cook her?" 

"No, Aki."

"Well," I grunt, standing back up, "I think that's all we need to know for now. We'll move onto-"

"Yo!" Someone voice echoes through the pool room, their cries bouncing off the walls and creeping through into the changing room. That awfully petulant whine shrieking. 

Amai bursts through the door, a flash of pink and purple suddenly hitting my eyes. Her face is enthused, determined. She holds a piece of paper firmly, displaying it as if it's a newborn lion. 

"This is pure gold!" She cries, squealing in delight, "Read this shit."

I pry the paper from her hands - as she seems keen to keep hold of it purely to tease me - and scan it over. The writing is neat and in cursive, so much like I had been taught to write all those years ago.

_'Tory,_

_You've become distant and cold as of recently. You refuse to cooperate, refuse to be part of the team. And this whole time I've been wondering. Why?_

_Is it your selfishness? Do you only care for your view of this world through rose-tinted glasses? Or perhaps you are humiliated. Disgusted by your own downfall that resulted in a death. Jin's death._

_One can only imagine your true intentions. You are more of a threat than ever._

_You will die tonight._

_-K.S'_

My body tenses as I keep reading, each word only making my fingers grow stiffer. Those chilling last sentences. The signature.

"Kohi Sasaki," I gasp, gripping the paper tight between my fingers, "That would make sense. The duffel bag, and now the note."

"It all adds up," Mamo scratches his wrists, "So it truly is his own doing."

"Holy shit was this easy!" Amai fist bumps the air, "I can't wait to see his scrawny ass executed and we can all go back to bed."

Haruka clenches her fists, "That's a horrible thing to say! Poor Kohi." 

Aki trails her finger along Tory's body, "But he won't go anywhere, right? He'll just join Jin at the picnic under the sea."

"Sure thing," I shrug.

As uncertainty lingers in the air, those four familiar chimes blare through the loudspeakers.

The trial announcement.

My blood runs cold. Knowing that this is what we have to go again. Stuck inside that trial room, our lives on the line. On the brink of total injustice.

Each of us begins to file out of the changing rooms and through the corridors of the entertainment building, our words lost in the ocean of silence surrounding us. Through the double doors and out onto the street, unable to do away with the sick, sinking feeling inside us.

Tory is dead, the one who led us through the first trial. Who kept us afloat. The one we need. The one we deserve.

It doesn't take too much waiting before that ragged old machine of a bus comes scratching down the road, its loose metal parts scraping along the brick pavement as it halts immediately in front of us. The doors open with a hiss and I feel like the world is forcing me on. Pushing me towards it with its mighty grip. It's the same driver. Scraggly black hair. Captain's hat. Black face mask. I stare at him, perhaps for longer than I ever had before, desperate to find something in that sickly pale skin. Though just beneath the thickets of hair, they glow. Bright amber eyes.

I shudder and scurry to the back of the bus, not wanting to provoke him any more. A sleeping lion, just waiting to snap at the next person who pokes him with a stick. 

Seating myself in the corner of the bus, Aki plops herself next to me, after admitting defeat to Amai and giving up Kuroko. She stares sadly out of the window.

"Kihona," She looks up at me, "What's that stuff on the window?"

I look to where she's pointing, and as the bus suddenly begins to move again, I notice a thin cast of water across the window. 

"Oh," I smile sadly, "That's condensation, Aki. It forms on the window when the air gets really cold, and it turns back into a liquid."

"Huh, really?" She cocks her head, leaning over my lap to get a closer look. She prods at the window, leaving a mark in the once cloudy water, "That's so cool!"

"It is," I grin, patting her head.

As she wipes her finger on her shorts, a small spider creeps up onto her pale thigh, scuttling along her leg. Before it can even make a turn, she pinches it between her fingers, lifting it into the air and dropping it into her mouth. I wince as she starts to crunch, chewing on the poor creature before swallowing with a big gulp.

"Ow!" She cries, "Spicy! Too hot! Too hot!" 

I roll my eyes, turning to the window as I watch the campus pass by, shaking from the turbulence. Tory still illuminates the walls of my mind, lingering there like a fly that just won't leave. Her desperate cries after Jin's death. Her sudden, constant absence. Her dead body, shrouded by an iron blanket of pool water. How her days must have ended in misery and fear, waiting anxiously for the moment to strike. 

It doesn't take long before the bus creaks in desperation, before hissing to a stop. We immediately get up and begin to file out of the bus one by one - the steady flow of the line occasionally halted by Kaso mocking the driver, until we're all returned to that same courtyard from before.

Jin isn't there. Charlotte isn't there. I feel as though my place in the courtyard is a violation of their own space. As if it should be them here, not me. I glance to Haruka worriedly, who returns my expression.

"Haruka," I reach my hand out to hers, as she grips it tightly as tears fall from her eyes, "We're going to stick together, okay? That's what we promised."

"Don't say that," She whimpers, "Last time you said that, Jin got killed."

I raise an eyebrow, "But you're not the killer, right? And I'm definitely not."

The sound of the fountain rumbling open in the background, Haruka's eye twitches slightly as she moves behind the yellow tape. A sudden sinking feeling wrenches in my gut.

That twitch. That single movement sends my heart into a frenzy 

As the stairwell opens, we each head down in our usual cluster, the lingering feeling of guilt among us. The hallway is the same, a dome-shaped metal hallway leading to that same red door. Almost on cue, the doors swing open to reveal that same marble courtroom from before. The fish outside taunt us, as if we're the ones in the tank. Lab rats, specimens, purely for the entertainment of others. I can't imagine this courtroom becoming too unfamiliar any time soon. 

"Looks like we're here again," Mitsuharu breaks the silence as we take our places at the podiums. Three more portraits stand tall, those haunting black and white images of their faces, smeared with red Xs of varying styles. Their only legacy contained in this crude memorial.

"W-wait," Mamo utters, "Where's Kuroko and Shiro? Th-they're meant to be here by now."

Their absence had completely slipped my mind, their places empty.

Until the double doors swing open.

Kuroko comes first, bounding forward like an excited bunny as she faces to her place. Shiro walks in after, looking rather dishevelled, clutching his head.

"Ooh!" Monokuma giggles on his throne, his sudden appearance making my heart jump, "We got a couple of truants, ey? Consider this your first warning. Don't be late!"

"I-is Kuroko okay?" Haruka tilts her head.

Kuroko smiles, swaying from side to side.

Shiro sighs, annoyed, "This woman is rather odd. One moment, I have to restrain her because she's trying to scratch me, the other she's ranting about how much she loves birds."

"I just think birds are neat," She blushes, her smile remaining tight on her face.

"But you're okay, right?" Yashira narrows her eyes, "You went fuckin' ballistic in there."

Kuroko cocks her head, "What are you talking about? I didn't do anything like that..."

"Fuckin' hell you did," Kaso scoffs, itching at the glassy scar running across his face, "You almost scratched my damn eyes out!"

"Look, this isn't important," Mitsuharu sighs, playing with his gages, "Whatever happened, I'm just glad Kuroko is okay. Now, we should start the trial."

The courtroom falls silent. We know what's to come. We know what we have to do. Dread sinks into me, as I bite my lip.

And I prepare for the ghastly trial to come.


	22. Chapter Two - 7: Court In Session

"Well," Yashira sighs, "Where are we gonna start?"

Amai smirks, slamming her hands on the podium. Her lip curls devilishly as all eyes turn to her, her stare hungry like a bird of prey

"How 'bout we start with the obvious." She says, her words tipped with venom, "Y'know, how obvious it is Kohi's the killer?"

"I'm likin' this," Kaso grins, his eye gleaming in the light, "Get to see the wimpy boy get fuckin' wrecked."

Kohi instantly tears up, his already pale skin turning ghostly. He cries, "Look, you've got it all wrong! I've been framed, I promise."

"He's right," Ayana says sharply, narrowing her cool brown eyes, "You guys are dumb. He was with me the entire night looking for his handbook." Her words echo through the air, soft like velvet yet so bitter underneath. 

"But you're lying," Aki puffs her cheeks, "Kohi, you left her _all_ alone in the dark. She must have been so scared of the monsters."

"What she said," Daiki nods, "Just without the monsters. Kohi came into the kitchen on his own, and then he said he was leaving for the bathroom. Did you watch him piss, Ayana?"

"Gross," She shakes her head, puckering her lips in disgust, "No way did I watch him do that."

Kohi's face noticeably saddens and I'm not entirely sure whether to feel sympathetic or thoroughly uncomfortable. 

"Then you're lying," Daiki says, "Now tell us, how long was Kohi away for?"

"Hey," Mitsuharu says, "Look, I don't know why everyone's accusing this guy. Did I miss out? What proof do you have?"

"Uh, duh!" Amai yawns, though it's clearly faked, "My man's duffel bag was in the pool cabinet. Y'know, full of knives"

"And cotton of all things?" Kaso laughs, "You're a freak, y'know. Much easier to use a sock."

"What the hell are you even talking about?" Kohi yells, clutching his satchel tighter, "Look, I swear I didn't do anything! A-anyone could grab my bag. It's not like you need identification to take someone's bag."

"He does raise a good point," Shiro smirks, "Though it doesn't exactly cover for the note. That is awfully suspicious. Do you care to explain?"

I pull the note from my pocket, doing my best to smooth out those creases as I unfold it.

Those carefully penned words haunt me as I scan them again, knowing those could be the words of a murderer. A cold-blooded killer.

"You wrote this?" I gulp, showing Kohi the paper. 

His eyes widen, "Y-yeah! I wrote that!"

Amai groans loudly, "Literally, he just admitted it. Let's just execute him already!"

"Weasel," Kaso smirks. 

"You guys look more sus than him at this point," Yashira yells, "Just be quiet for more than a second!"

"So," Mitsuharu snaps, and Yashira instantly quietens, "You admit to writing 'you will die tonight' to Tory? Surely you're not that stupid."

"W-wait, hold on," Kohi protests, staring at his green wellies, "No, not that part. I wanted to write a letter to Tory to comfort her, but I left halfway through because I lost my handbook. I wrote it in the bar."

"That's just a cover-up!" Daiki growls, "C'mon, let's execute this twink right now."

"T-twink?" Kohi shrieks.

Kaso scoffs, "You're callin' him a twink? You're probably the gayest here."

"Sorry," Daiki mumbles.

"I-Is this true, Kohi?" Mamo says wearily, "I-I mean, looking at it, the last sentence's handwriting looks very...purposeful. Like it was forged."

"Y-yeah!" Kohi nods, "And look, they clearly didn't know how to use my special dip pen."

I look over the paper myself. He's not wrong - the last sentence is littered with specs of ink and small blotches. As if the user had no experience with a dip pen. 

"I guess I just never noticed that part," I say, lowering the paper. 

"Hm," Haruka frowns, "Is that really enough to clear him of suspicion? That evidence is a little circumstantial, is all."

"Girl's gotta point," Yashira nods, "Sorry, Kohi. Got nothin' against ya. Just ain't enough for me."

"Maybe a handwriting test would suffice?" Shiro smirks, "Providing Kohi has a pen and ink to hand."

"Who the hell even uses a dip pen anymore?" Daiki rolls his eyes, "That shit's 60s as fuck."

"I do!" Kuroko beams, "I like the little scratchy noises it makes."

"Scratch, scratch," Aki mumbles. Kuroko nods in return, as if she somehow understands her on a more profound level. Comprehending what goes through their heads would take hours just for one of them.

Kohi nods, immediately rummaging in his satchel. He pulls out a pen and a full pot of jet black ink, "Here! Does anyone have spare paper?"

Mitsuharu whips that same notepad from before from his pocket, tossing it to Kohi as if it were as meaningless as a tennis ball. Kohi snatches it from the air, kneeling on the floor as he begins to scrawl on the pad. 

After a minute or so, he tears the sheet away, displaying his newly written piece, "I wrote the note out exactly. I-is this okay?"

He tosses it to Mamo, who carefully reads each word. Those eyes would be so focused if it weren't for his frantic blinking. 

"Th-that last line doesn't match up. It's forged," He concludes, passing the note around the circle. When it lands in my hands, I take the time to analyse it. He's right, so many small differences that blend together into rather stark contrast.

"I suppose that clears you of suspicion in that area," Shiro smacks those glossy lips together, "We can prove you didn't write that part, but can we prove you didn't do it?"

Ayana groans, "I'm sick of this shit. You literally have all the evidence you need. I can back up his alibi, and the note is forged. Done."

"Kohi," Haruka turns to him, a gentle smile on her face, "Could you tell us exactly what happened with your handbook?"

He falters slightly, as if he's just suddenly been switched off. 

"W-well," He finally utters, "I was in the bar writing my letter to Tory, until I noticed my handbook wasn't in my satchel, so I panicked and ran to Ayana. This was maybe 10 PM?

The two of us spent all night looking for it, we barely left each other's side."

Ayana nods conclusively, puckering her sour lips. 

"How do we know Yana isn't lyin?" Yashira raises an eyebrow, "She's been backin' him up the whole way, might be an accomplice."

"Ding dong!" Amai cackles with laughter, "You guys are dumb as rocks, we just need to vote him! Ayana's just a dumb, lying skank!"

"You dirty bitch," Ayana narrows her eyes, "I'll take being dumb, but I'm not a liar. Take that back."

Amai laughs again, "Ooh, scary. Save me! Ayana's gonna get her kid on me! But where's her daddy? I'm sure he isn't on your side."

Ayana freezes suddenly, her face draining of colour. Her eyes are blank, hollow like a conker shell. She grips the ribbon on her shirt, fumbling with it anxiously. 

Kaso smirks, flashing a satisfied look at Amai, who only returns the expression. Something inside of me burns with rage looking at them both, their smug faces making my hands curl into fists.

"Wait, hold on," Yashira's eyes light up, "Holy shit, I forgot. I saw them! They were in the courtyard. I asked 'em what they were up to and they mentioned a handbook."

"And you're only saying this just now?" Mitsuharu sighs, "Is your head full of air?"

"Hey, cut it out, man!" Yashira snaps, "I'm under pressure here, we could all die! Do you expect me to remember every little detail?"

"And you forgot during the investigation, too?" Haruka giggles, "That's funny, Yashi."

"Cut it out!" Yashira growls. 

"Not the problem," Daiki says, "Because Kohi admitted to being away from Ayana at one point, right? He could'a easily killed Tory then."

I clear my throat, "Daiki. Amai. Kaso. Why are you so sure it's him? Do you have something to cover up yourself?"

Amai suddenly grows nervous, "Wh-what the hell are you talking about? I didn't do it, I was with Kuroko and Daiki all night."

"And me," Aki mumbles.

"We don't talk about that," Amai sighs, "So it's none of us, okay? Back off!"

"Then why do you want us to vote for Kohi?" I say, "If there's reasonable doubt, it's too dangerous." 

"Maybe it'd be fun to watch all of your sad little faces," Kaso's lip curls, a smirk that would appal the evilest of men, "Watchin' you cry because you think we're gonna die? I can smell your damn fear, and it's fuckin' good."

"Gross," Kuroko turns green. 

"L-let's just move on before there's a fight," Haruka laughs nervously, turning to Ayana, "Hey, how long was Kohi away for?"

Ayana taps her chin, "He went to the bathroom briefly. No longer than 10 minutes."

"Jesus," Daiki scoffs, "What were you doing in there? Taking a shit? Jacking off?"

"I take that long just to pull my undies down," Aki murmurs, staring at the floor.

"L-look, it's not relevant what I did in the bathroom," Kohi glances around at the other students, biting his lip, "But I don't think 10 minutes is enough to kill someone, especially as artistically as that."

Mitsuharu closes his notebook, sliding it into his pocket. He glances at Kohi, "Looks like you're off the hook, for now. I'm sorry I doubted you."

Ayana's eyebrows furrow, her eyes twitching as they narrow into slits. She bites her lip, pointing her long nails at Amai, then Daiki, though she strangely avoids Kaso, diverting her gaze from him to the rest of them. 

"You three," She says, her tongue sharp as a blade, "You owe Kohi an apology. You just threw him under the bus because it was convenient to you. Did you not see his face? You're disgusting. And I want an apology."

Amai instantly shakes her head, her already stubborn face tainted by that same defiant look in vain of a toddler, "You think I'm gonna _apologise?_ Seriously? What the fuck did I-"

"Get your shit together," Ayana almost yells, the smoothness of her voice shattered on the marble floor, "This is life or death, not a stupid video game. We can't restart or try again. One wrong move and we're all dead."

Amai suddenly quietens as Ayana's voice vibrates around the room. She looks at her giant white platforms, clasping her hand together as if she's fidgeting. And not a word, not even a sound escapes her lips.

Eventually, she looks up with a reluctant eye, and barely manages to utter a sound, "Sorry, Kohi."

Kohi nods, a smile on his face, "I-It's okay, Amai. Anyone else would do the same."

"I ain't gonna fuckin' apologise," Kaso grunts, "I ain't sorry, little kid. I'm gonna make your life a livin' hell, stick ass. Just watch."

Daiki nods, that simple action repeating every one of Kaso's words back to me. 

"Hey, Aki?" Haruka looks to the scrawny little child, still mesmerised by the fish. As if she's never seen them before.

Haruka continues, "Did you say you saw Tory last night? In the kitchen?"

Aki turns to face the group, rubbing her one sleepy eye. She yawns, "Um, yeah. She took the veggie murderer and left, and she didn't say anything."

"Yep!" Kuroko chirps, "She came in while we were having some tea and took one. We never saw her come back, either, so she probably just kept it."

"How can you be so calm about that?" Yashira spits, "She took a damn knife? Didn't you try to stop her?"

"We tried," Amai sighs, "But she shut herself in, didn't wanna come out. We figured she'd probably kill us if we stepped in so we just left."

"Th-that doesn't sound v-very wise." Mamo says, frowning. 

"Well, what happened, happened," Mitsuharu declares, "Perhaps Tory received the note from the killer and thought of it as a threat. So she took the knife to defend herself, and wound up dead."

"That would make complete sense," Shiro smirks, "Then, we should swiftly move onto-"

"Wait!"

Kohi's cracking voice stops Shiro's words in their track, as he holds his hand high in the air as if he's in a kindergarten room. 

"What's up?" I ask, tilting my head.

Suddenly, he looks afraid, dropping down from his tiptoes as he clutches the strap of his bag, "O-oh. I just wanted to talk about the alarm Ayana and I heard while looking around. Around the time of death actually, it was weirdly quiet. But it sounded exactly like the pool alarm!" 

Ayana nods, playing with her hoop earrings, "Yeah, it really wasn't as loud as it had been when we drained it earlier. I'm guessing the killer maybe filled the pool or something."

"Because the pool is drained after hours," I think aloud, "Yeah, I see. I mean, it had to have been quiet, I never heard it while I was asleep."

"Heard it too," Yashira casually raises her hand, not even bothering to look at us. Kaso does the same, though his mouth is sealed. Amai, Kuroko, Daiki and Aki confirm as well.

The group stands in silence for what feels like hours, weeks, an eternity. Just standing, staring lifelessly at the marble podiums. 

"Th-this might seem like a stretch," Mamo says, pressing his fingers to his temples, "B-but cotton is super thick, right?"

"Oh, indeed," Shiro quips, "And it muffles sound. Trust me, I'd know. I've had it in my mouth many times, dear."

"U-um," Mamo diverts his eyes from Shiro, "Too much information. B-but maybe the killer put the cotton inside the alarms? Y-you can detach the front cover fairly easily and stuff it inside. I-it'd do the trick to keep it quiet."

"Oh yeah!" Haruka grins, "They used to do that with the bells at my school, they were too loud so they put cotton around them! It worked pretty well."

As I scan the group once more, I feel the pit in my stomach only grow bigger and bigger. Each word they say, every minute longer this trial takes, I'm reminded of that dreadful fact.

We're gonna be here for a while.


	23. Chapter Two - 8: Final Verdict

"Are we moving on, then?"

I snap out of my daze as Mitsuharu's calm voice floods my ears. Blinking, my vision clears, my head clears. Though I have no clue what they've been talking about in my stunned state, I nod with a slight hesitance. The others seem to nod too, though much more conclusively, and I know it's time to pay attention.

"I guess we've sorted all that out, then," Haruka folds her arms, "But we're not really any closer to finding the killer, right? I mean, we still have no idea what half of the stuff is."

"She's right, you know," Shiro toys with his hair, "There're those kitchen knives, those ghastly spears. Ugh, it's so horrible I want to wretch."

I think back to all those spears sliced through Tory's motionless, dead body. Not a single spot untainted by those sharp edges.

"Neither of those is the murder weapon, though," Daiki says, "I mean, she choked to death? That's a strange ass way to spell stabbing, Monokuma."

"Hey!" The bear roars, "Don't make fun of my spelling, it hurts my little robot heart. I wasn't bullied for 15 years for this!"

Mitsuharu rolls his eyes, "Anyway, it's fair to say the spears were an afterthought, especially since there's no blood in the water, nor any around the pool." 

"How do we know they didn't just clean it up?" Yashira raises an eyebrow, "Jin did it, so could this killer."

Kaso grins, flashing a smirk at Ayana, "You shove a rake up anyone's ass? Might get a lead from that."

"Leave her alone!" Kohi yells, "She'll do it to you in a minute!"

I sigh, trying to ignore their bickering, "That's not very likely, the towels in both locker rooms were in the lockers, folded too. Blood would probably stain a white towel, so they wouldn't look that pristine."

Ayana sighs, "But then why the spears? Seems a bit overkill, unless they went crazy or something."

I flash a brief, secretive glance to Kuroko, whose face is as chirpy as ever. Her screams play back in my mind once more, her swinging for Kaso, being pulled out of the room crying. 

Shaking my head, the thoughts scurry as I try to concentrate on the spears. 

_Ayana's right, it is overkill. So why?_

"Wh-where would the spears even come from?" Mamo says gently, "I d-don't remember seeing anything like that around campus." 

"The ceiling," Mitsuharu says suddenly, as if he's thinking aloud. He rubs his temples, metal rings pressing firmly into his skin.

Kaso scoffs, "Jesus fucking christ, this man's outta ideas." 

Yashira laughs with him, "Yeah, what the fuck, man?" 

Mitsuharu flushes, turning away from them, a sheepish look spread across his face, "N-no. Hold on, let me explain." He clears his throat, "There was a metal ceiling panel in the pool, kind of in line with where Tory's body was. "

"Again?" Amai growls, clenching her fists, "You're keeping shit from us again? I'm sick of you! Our lives are on the line and you wanna be some 'mysterious emo kid'? Cut it out!"

Mitsuharu bites his lip, narrowing his eyes, though no words come from his mouth. Silence. 

"A-amai's right," Haruka says, "You really need to stop. I don't know what's keeping you from telling us these things."

Nothing. Just silence again. Nothing but an intense green stare.

"Mitsuharu?" I say, worry burning in my heart. _Say something, anything._

He looks at me dead on, "The rules state some areas are blocked off at night, remember? Perhaps the pool is one, not necessarily the area around, but the pool itself."

"Kid's right and all!" Monokuma nods, paying more attention to a glass of wine that's probably been pulled out from places I can't even comprehend, "Can't be enterin' the pool at night, the insurance company will 'ave a right day with me!" 

"That's neat and all," Daiki raises an eyebrow, "But what do the rules have to do with anything? She was murdered."

"I'm suggesting," Mitsuharu slides his hands into his pockets, his stare only intensifying. "Perhaps Tory being dead in the pool was considered a violation of the rules. Thus, the metal panel slid open, and spears shot her corpse from the ceiling."

Silence again, no noise except for light gasps and jaws dropping. 

"That's so crazy," I say, voice breathy from shock, "It might just be plausible." 

"The heavens decided her fate!" Aki croaks, lifting her hands to the sky.

"The spears weren't the cause of death, maggot," Amai picks at her nails. 

Kohi looks at the marble floor, "Do rules actually apply to corpses?"

Monokuma springs to attention again, "Bloody shit! Another rule I forgot to add! I tell ya, I'm gettin' senile these days, need to take my meds."

He turns away from us, fumbling around with lord knows what, until each of our handbooks ping simultaneously with a new notification.

_'Principal Monokuma has added a new rule! Tap to view.'_

_'Rule 13: Any rules listed also apply to deceased students.'_

"You forgot?" Shiro frowns, "How do you just forget a rule? That is awfully disorganised."

Monokuma looks as if he's about to say something before Aki quickly begins to yell.

"Mamo!" She squawks, "Do you remember the auto..the aut...the ot-"

"Th-the autopsy?" Mamo tilts his head, "Yes, I do remember. D-do you want to talk about it?"

Her thin lips stretch into a mischievous grin, as she starts to jump at her podium, "Yeah! Yeah! Let's talk about dead stuff!"

"That thing is so creepy..." Amai sighs, rubbing her temples.

"W-we discovered many injuries that we think could e-explain her death," Mamo continues, trying to ignore Amai's comments, "W-we already know they struggled, correct?"

I nod, "Oh yeah! Those markings on the wall, huh? There are dents and scratches everywhere, probably caused by those knives." 

"I-indeed," Mamo glances at me, "There were also many cuts and bruises on her body, which further indicates said struggle." 

Kaso rolls his eyes, "Okay, man, but this whole spears thing. Still means Kohi could'a killed her. Wouldn't take long to gag her and dump her in the pool."

Kohi starts to tear up again, recoiling, "Please, no! Not this again." 

Ayana shakes her head, "I don't think that's right. He was with me when the alarm went off, so unless teleportation exists, I don't think it's possible.

I interweave my fingers with each other, tapping my palms impatiently, "It can be something to think about, we can't jump to conclusions too fast."

"Can I keep going?" Mamo lowers his head, biting his shaking lip.

Shiro smiles, staring at him with those longing brown eyes, "Of course, we're all listening."

Mamo nods, brushing off his trousers as he prepares to speak, "We found a mark on the back of Tory's neck. About the size of a knee or an elbow."

"Yeah, I remember that," Haruka smiles, "And we decided that they probably used their own weight to crush her, right?"

"Th-that's what I'm inclined to believe," Mamo says.

"Maybe they both dropped the veggie murderers, so they used their hands instead," Aki sticks out her bottom lip, pouting. 

Haruka frowns, "Good idea, but they're called knives, Aki."

"Veggie murderers," She grumbles, turning away from us.

Sighing, I try my best to ignore Aki, "I guess we've sort of solidified how this case played out. Suppose Kohi isn't the killer - they stole his handbook, forged the letter, invited Tory to the pool and they fought."

"So then, after killing Tory, they tied weights to her and threw her to the bottom of the pool," Mitsuharu adds, "And her corpse was punished for entering on out of bounds area, thus the spears." 

"And the window is open in the guys' changing room," Haruka says, "Maybe they got out that way?"

"But who the fuck did it?" Yashira grunts, folding her arms, "If it ain't Kohi, we're fresh outta suspects."

Silence falls across the room like an iron blanket weighing down on our heads. On our drive, on our passion for this justice. Yashira's right - nowhere to go, no one to suspect.

Stuck on an endless roundabout of confusion, uncertainty. Injustice.

"Well," Mitsuharu sighs, as if it's nothing beyond a childish game that we're too dense to understand, "We could always check the sleeping app."

Amai cackles, "Oh em god! We totally forgot about that one, we're dumb as rocks, ya smartass!"

"That thing is so creepy, dude," Daiki groans, "Like, how the fuck does it even keep tabs on us? Are we chipped or some shit?"

"My cats got chipped!" Kuroko beams, "So we could always know where they were and how they were doing, please microchip your animals."

I think back to that twinge in my neck, the sudden pain that had surged through me. Twice already; first meeting Kohi, and breakfast not too long ago. Like a little bee buried in my flesh. 

_Are we seriously being chipped right now?_

Rubbing the back of my neck, I prod around at my skin, searching for any kind of sharp piece, any possible signs of disturbance. 

Nothing. 

Shrugging, I pull out my handbook, opening the sleep tracker to the night of the murder, "I'm clean, was asleep way before the time of the murder." 

Daiki pulls out his own, "Sorry, I was up. But I'm banned from the pool, same with Haru over there. Couldn't be me." 

Mitsuharu nods, as if to mutually agree with him. To solidify their trust. His tracker reads normal too. 

As each person reveals their sleep timer, we're narrowed down to the final group of suspects: Ayana, Kohi, Amai, Aki, Kuroko, Yashira, Mamo and Shiro. 

"It's always the same few people," Kaso snorts, "What're y'all up to? Aren't you too lame to have lives?"

Yashira bites her lip, stomping on the marble floor, "Fuck you! I was havin' my damn cup noodle, I hadn't eaten shit for dinner and I was hungry!"

"H-how can you even be sure of a pattern?" Mamo whimpers, "I-it's only been one trial." 

"And some of us just happen to be night owls," Shiro smirks, "The night is ours, darling. The most ravishing time."

"Whether or not there's a pattern is irrelevant," Mitsuharu says, "What's important is that we now have a better list of suspects, perhaps we have more insight into the case after all."

"But," Haruka sighs sadly, "How do we narrow it down from here? There can only be one blackened."

"Well," Daiki says, "We start with the obvious, I'm banned from the pool. Plus, me, Aki, Amai and Kuroko were together the whole time."

Again, silence. So long and thick like tight wool, wrapping around our heads and engulfing us in the painful quiet. 

_Mamo, Shiro and Yashira still don't have alibis. We have no way of knowing who it is._

Clearing my throat, I gulp down the urge to vomit, "Yashira said she was cooking dinner, right? You guys saw her in the kitchen?"

Kuroko nods, her glasses almost falling off her face, "Yeah, she was making her cup noodle. It was probably about 20 minutes before the time of death, and she left after a little while."

"You startin' shit?" Yashira growls, "I didn't do shit after I left, I just went to bed, okay?" 

"No one was starting anything," Mitsuharu sighs, "We'll believe you for now."

Shiro looks Mamo dead in the eyes, a perturbed expression spreading across his glowing face. He bites his lip anxiously, as if he doesn't dare to even utter a sound. Like his throat can't force anything out of his lips.

"M-mamo, dear?" He grasps his cravat, his grip only tightening as the silence lengthens, "It can't be, you wouldn't do this?"

"We've been here for, like, a week, dumbass," Amai yells, "Quit acting like he's in love with you!"

Mamo turns pale, "B-but it could be you too, Shiro?"

The two of them stare in complete awe at each other, saying nothing. Barely breathing, as if they don't even know they exist. Just fixated on each other. 

"It isn't me."

Those three words leave their mouths simultaneously, echoing as they linger between them. 

"Look, we're not dealing with this," Mitsuharu says, picking at his nail polish, "Let's just try to come to a conclusion like adults."

"Mamo was doing the autopsy, right?" Haruka says, "I mean, there could've been a chance that he could hide something. Or tamper with something. I dunno, seems a bit sketch." 

"No," Aki mumbles, "Mamo wouldn't do that. He's a good boy, he eats his peas and goes to bed."

"He wasn't in bed," Shiro says, completely exasperated, "He was up. It says on his tracker."

"And so were you," Mamo says back, almost as anxious as Shiro. 

I can't bear to listen to them for much longer, their words slamming into my skull like a train. My head screams out in pain, and I cover my ears as I desperately try to filter out the noise. And to no avail. 

_No more. Just stop talking. Everyone stop talking._

I feel as if my feet are going to give out from beneath me.

Until, just out of the corner of my eye. So minuscule it almost goes unnoticed.

Yashira's hand. Her smooth, dark hand. Pink acrylic nails.

And a long cut down to her wrist.

I yelp as I see it, causing the whole group to fall silent. They stare at me, confused at my sudden outburst.

"The fuck is up with you?" Yashira raises an eyebrow, "Am I really that fuckin' scary?"

Shaking my head, I can't even think of the right words to say. Just fixated on her harsh voice, her sharp tongue. 

"Yashira," I utter, "Could you explain that cut on your hand?" 

Gasps from around the room sound, the energy to figure out who is who drained from me.

She raises her hand up to the light, her eyebrow suddenly twitching, "H-huh? This lil' thing? Oh, was choppin' some vegetables."

"That would make sense," Kohi nods, "Those knives are very sharp."

"I highly doubt it, though," Ayana frowns, "You said you were making cup noodle? Pretty sure you don't need a knife for that."

Yashira freezes, balling her hands into fists, "I-I wanted some extra onions in it, dammit!"

"If you put extra veggies in your cup noodle, don't fucking talk to me," Ayana narrows her eyes at the shorter, biting her bottom lip. 

"That's your concern of all things?" Haruka cries out, "She just lied! She lied about cooking dinner, that's not how she got that cut."

"Can you four confirm?" Mitsuharu gestures towards the late-night tea group, "Did Yashira chop anything while she was making her dinner?"

Amai shakes her head, "No way she did! Fucking liar."

Ayana hesitates slightly before beginning to speak, "So that's why we saw her near the courtyard. She jumped out of the window."

"What the fuck?" Yashira's voice grows louder with every word, her tone only turning more aggressive, "Why is this happening? Do you all hate me or some shit?"

"I-if you're a murderer," Mamo narrows his eyes, "Then yes."

"Good thing I'm not then," Yashira folds her arms, flipping her ebony hair over her shoulder. 

Mitsuharu raises his pierced eyebrow, "Well, where's your alibi for that? Can you prove you didn't go to the pool?"

She doesn't say a word, merely pursing her lips together as she keeps her hands clenched tight. Shaking, her eyebrow twitching and furrowing. Frowning.

She looks me dead in the face, her poisonous green eyes burning in my chest. And then she opens her mouth.

"Fuck you!" She screams, "I didn't do shit, your proof is a god damn coincidence. You saw fucking nothing!"

"This kinda screams guilty to me," Kohi sighs, "I mean, you're not giving any real proof, just rebuttals."

"He's right," Mitsuharu nods, "If you're not guilty, show us some real proof."

She blinks. Slowly, yet with the utmost purpose, "Oh, fairly simple. Y'know, written fucking evidence? The letter? The duffel bag? What more proof do you need?"

Ayana scowls, "Proven false. Kohi was framed. By you."

"No more answers, pretty girl?" Kaso cocks his head, "Damn, she's all outta words. Maybe she'll keep her mouth shut for once."

"Was that really necessary, dear?" Shiro plays with a tendril of his hair, "We're accusing her of murder, not having a rap battle. Foul, foul behaviour." 

"Damn fuckin' straight!" Yashira kicks her podium, the sound vibrating around the glass walls, "Shut your mouth, you could die if you vote for me!"

"Then prove it," Mitsuharu rolls his eyes, "Is there an echo in here. Jesus Christ, just prove it." 

Again, she descends into silence. Like there's been a power cut in her brain, down her whole body. Everything gone, no thoughts passing through her, no sparks in her eyes.

That once fiery passion now burned away into mere embers ready to be crushed into ash.

"Got nothin' more ta say, young lady?" Monokuma chirps, leaping up from his throne, "It's Monokuma time, baby! Or should I say voting time?" Yep, sounds better and all." 

As the screens ascend from the floor, I'm reminded of Jin. His teary eyes, his desperate pleas, Haruka's distraught words. The screen illuminates with our faces again, and the dreaded option to vote.

Yashira's name is like a magnet, drawing my finger closer. Closer. Closer.

Once my finger presses the screen, her name is shrouded by a striking scarlet. 

I vote for Yashira.


	24. Chapter 2 - 9: Facing Punishment

As the projector screen descends, so does the sinking feeling in my stomach. I want to throw up but I try to swallow any of those urges. Yashira desperately protests as her portrait appears next to a tally, slowly increasing as more and more people vote. 

It reaches twelve. We all voted for Yashira, apart from one mark next to my name that sends my heart icy cold. 

_Yashira voted for me._

"Bingo!" Monokuma yells, doing some strange somersault on his throne, "Wait, wrong game. I mean, congratulations! You have officially passed the second class trial. The Blackened was Yashira Kurosawa!"

Nobody speaks, just a lingering quietness in the room, apart from Aki mumbling to the fish that swim by. 

"I-it's true then?" Haruka cups her hands together, tears forming in her eyes, "You killed Tory?" 

Not a word from Yashira. Just that same, blank expression.

"So that volatility wasn't just your act," Shiro says, his face strangely content. Almost as if he's enjoying this, "You really were on the brink of something dangerous." 

I glance at Kuroko, a lump forming in my throat. _Let's hope that volatility isn't shared._

Kohi frowns, "Why would you do that? And why would you pin it on me?"

"P-perhaps she was aware of your niceness," Mamo tilts his head, "I-I understand that. People love to prey on those with the biggest hearts to break."

"But we still don't know her real motive," Ayana's face sours, "Why _did_ she do it?" 

Yashira looks up at her, "Wh-why?"

Suddenly, so swift I almost don't notice, Yashira leaps towards me, a flash of blue growing closer to me. She grabs me by my tie, pulling me in like a lasso, heart beating.

"Why did I fuckin' do it? Because I hated that bitch!" She screams, her face inches from mine, "And I wanted that money. Why did you try and stop me, dirty maggot?" 

"H-hey, lay off her!" Haruka cries, trying to wedge her off me, "She didn't want any of this to happen."

I can't even begin to speak, as if I'm frozen in place. Letting her grab me, slap me, cuss me out. I let it all go by as if it were a plane in the sky.

"You have no idea what this shit is like!" She grips my collar tighter, fists shaking from the tension. Specs of tears form in her eyes, though she does her best to blink them away, "You're just a prissy little rich girl who's gonna live off daddy's money for the rest of your life. You don't get it, so why would you try to stop me?"

"Hold on," Mitsuharu says, his tone-deafness as prominent as ever, "This came out of nowhere. We aren't gonna get anything out of this without an explanation." 

Yashira turns to him, dropping me as she does. I feel the air flood back into my throat, my head clearing of the fogginess that her grip had caused. 

"Money is all I need," She says, tears spilling from her eyes, "It's all I fucking need. And when that damn bear says he'll give it to me, I'm gonna take it, dammit!"

"Is she still going on?" Monokuma sighs, "Ya want me to explain? I've got all the juicy deets on y'all's lives."

"I think an explanation is well overdue, dude," Amai scoffs.

The bear clears his throat - though lord knows what would be clogging up a robotic voice box, "Ahem! Well, you've got your rich kids. Shiro, Ayana, and our best friend Kiki over there. And then you have your poor kids. Yashira is one of em! Strugglin' to get by, even had to turn to a loan shark at one point, and that really screwed the Kurosawas over!" 

"Tory's parents were loan sharks," I say, breathless. All the students' eyes turn to me. All except Yashira.

"When did you find out about that?" Kuroko tilts her head, straightening those huge glasses, "I don't remember Tory saying anything about sharks."

"She told me a few days ago," I say, "Not long after Jin's execution." Those last few words come out more like a curse, as if they should never be spoken. "Her parents are corrupt people who extort others for money. Loan sharks."

"I guess that explains an awful lot, eh?" Monokuma grins, "Anyway, it's my turn to talk! Sadly, Yashira's circumstances weren't all that great, so someone ended up murdered, yadda yadda yadda. And her dad got blamed for it and all! Shock horror! Anyways, lawyers are pretty damn expensive, so her dad's pretty little arse is rotting in a jail cell forever." 

"Fuck you, bear," Yashira mutters, barely able to stop the floods of tears. 

"B-but did he do it?" Mamo says.

"Of course he bloody didn't!" Monokuma roars, "That would be too easy. But when the rich bitches got lawyers, you're gonna lose!"

"Oh my god," Haruka's face drains of colour, "That's horrific. I'm so sorry."

"Don't you dare apologise," Yashira growls, "You have no right to feel sorry for me. You tried to stop me."

"Ya didn't even get the money anyways," Monokuma chuckles, "You got the key instead! What bad luck. Oh well, not like it matters."

She turns to us all, "That money was all I needed. And when that bitch is just gonna sit on her ass while her parents extort people, she's got shit coming."

"And so you murdered the one who put the rain clouds in your brain," Aki prods the floor, analysing her own dusty fingerprint on the marble. 

"Yeah," Yashira grunts, "Fuck her. I'm not gonna say sorry, I never will. I hate all of you, every single fucking one." 

"That's so mean!" Monokuma starts to whine, doing his best to force out a tear, "I'm so hurt, I'm gonna execute ya!"

Yashira says nothing, merely facing the bear, her stare transfixed on him. Her fists remained clenched as she refuses to look at any of us. Just standing. Waiting for death. Monokuma pulls out that same mallet from before, my brain plastered with Jin's face, slamming it down onto the gigantic red button before him.

** Yashi  ** ** ☆ ** ** Yashi  ** ** ☆ ** ** Idol! **

As she stands patiently at her podium, she shoots one last scowl at me before the floor opens up beneath her. She falls through the trapdoor to god knows where, her silence eerie as ever. Unbothered by death.

With a flash, the screen cuts to a new scene. A stage illuminated by the pink and blue glow of spotlights dancing across the hard wood surface. A lone music stand sits prepped and ready, topped with sheet music and a gleaming flute. Proscenium seats lie in front of the stage, all populated by replica Monokumas. 

_Thud._

Yashira falls through the ceiling, landing on the stage with a remarkable crash. A screen drops down in front of her just as she makes contact with the floor, displaying some strange colourful background, like something out of a music game.

My heart pounds as she rises to her feet, snatching the flute from the music stand as she scans the sheet music.

_She knows what she has to do._

Suddenly, the screen springs to life.

'Get ready!' it reads in bold pink text, a simple tambourine beat clicking away as if it's about to count her in.

Her fingers wrap around the flute, gripping it with perhaps the most confidence I've seen from her. Her brashness is so cold, so empty it leaves my body feeling like a bottomless pit. 

The letters fade away, counting her down in that same pink text. 

_3, 2, 1_

Then music. Some crappy idol music blaring through the speakers. I try my best to keep myself upright on the vibrating floor, though I can't help but think of Jin. The pain, the tears, his dead body. 

_This is where Yashira dies. Just like Jin did._

As the music plays, coloured circles come sliding down the screen, prompting Yashira to play the notes. And she does, with immense precision. Each time she blows on the flute, her score goes up, higher and higher. _'Super!'_ and _'Perfect!'_ flash across the screen in that same gaudy font as the bar keeps rising. The Monokumas in the audience cheer as she plays, throwing bright pink roses at her feet. 

Just as she seems to be relaxing into her incoming fate, the speed quickens, forcing her to play even faster. I can feel my heart racing as the pace increases, almost thumping to the beat. She starts to miss more and more notes, her score metre dropping with each false step. Her face flushes, sweat trickling down her forehead as her fingers dance across the keys, desperately trying to keep up with the rhythm. And yet I can only keep my eyes on the score metre. Going down, down, down. 

Pebbles land at her feet, clearly being thrown by the army of jeering Monokumas. They scratch at her arms and legs, leaving cuts and bruises deep in her skin.

Down, down, the metre doesn't stop as the song only speeds up more and more. 

Until it reaches zero. 

The ceiling above her opens up, huge artillery lowering down to her level. Anxiety burns in me, and I desperately want to scream out for her. But it's no use. My cries will never reach her. And even if they could, I doubt she'd listen to me. 

The flute falls to the ground, its keys flying off into the audience. Yashira stares wide-eyed at the machine guns in front of her. 

She wants to run.

But before she can, gunshots ring through the room. Flashes of light burst in front of my eyes.

The screen goes black, slowly retracting back into the ceiling.

Horror fills the air, thick like a blanket of steel. I feel cold, shivering at the slightest touch. No one can say anything, just lost in silence.

"Well," Amai says, shattering that silence like a plate, "That was fun and all, but we would be in bed right now if the emo had opened his mouth for once!" 

All eyes fall on Mitsuharu, who simply stands with his arms folded. Watching us all. 

"What did I do?" He shrugs, his monotonous tone feeling so inappropriate. 

Daiki groans, "Oh, y'know. Keeping vital fucking information from us the whole time? How were we supposed to know the spears came from the god damn ceiling?"

"G-guys!" Kuroko protests, tears spilling down her face, "Please, let's not fight. Someone just died in front of us and you're arguing? How cruel!" 

"Well excuse me for wanting to keep us all alive," Amai snarls at Kuroko, causing her to recoil in fright, "That dirty goth doesn't care if we live or die, he just wants to look all hot and unbothered!"

"Please!" Kuroko covers her ears, shaking her head violently, "I-I can't take this anymore! You guys are so mean!"

Without another word, Kuroko darts out of the trial room, her sobs growing quieter as she disappears into the campus.

Silence again, a sound I'm becoming all too familiar with. It lingers for a few seconds before Haruka slowly raises her hand.

"U-uh, Amai's right, Mitsuharu," She sighs sadly, "I don't want to admit it either, but you're putting us at risk by being secretive. We need to share stuff like this to survive!"

Each of us nods in turn, apart from Kaso who remains as smug as ever. Smirking. 

"I think this guy's got a good plan," He bites his lip, "He can't trust any of you bitches. Only providin' for himself. I'd like him if he weren't a dumb goth." 

"Wrong subculture," Mitsuharu mutters, turning away from him. 

"Kaso's right," Daiki nods, scuttling to his side, "He's smart."

" _Now_ you're changing your tune?" Amai growls, "Jesus Christ, you're such a suck-up! Let him go, he's straight as all hell and way out of your league."

The two of them stare at each other in complete awe. Daiki flushes, while Kaso merely remains confused. Bewildered. Almost fascinated.

"I'm out," Kaso mutters, storming out of the door. Daiki quickly follows, along with a few others shortly after. 

As the room slowly becomes more and more empty, it seems I'm left with only Mitsuharu and Haruka - a feeling I should be comforted by, yet I still feel cold like an abandoned prison cell.

Haruka wipes a tear from her eye, "What's up, Kiki? Well, apart from...y'know..."

I don't respond, merely looking down at myself. I'm still in those same silk pyjamas from this morning, the sweat I've produced over the hours clinging to the fabric. They feel dirty, so dirty, yet I never want to take them off.

Haruka inhales through her teeth, "Is it because she hated you?"

I nod almost automatically, those words clicking and whirring in my brain. I can't erase the memory of her foul, sour look. Her harsh voice. Her final words to me were filled with hate, with disgust. 

"You did all you could," Haruka tries to force a smile, "I don't hate you, Kihona. And I never should have. I'm sorry." 

I want to respond until I feel Mitsuharu lingering behind us. Still watching. Still waiting. 

"H-hey," I turn to face him, "You're still here?"

"This seems to be our little hangout now, huh?" Mitsuharu glances around the trial room, "Bit morbid, don't you think?"

Nodding, I bite my lip to keep my voice from cracking. He stares at me as if he's analysing every edge of my body. 

"You really should stop keeping stuff from us."

The words don't even register in my brain before they leave my mouth. He seems almost surprised by my statement, though it's not like he hasn't heard it already.

Clearing my throat, I continue, "I mean, Amai does have a point. If you have something you want to say, then just say it. We need this type of stuff to stay alive."

He frowns, "How am I supposed to trust a group of total strangers? You think some people wouldn't use that for their own gain?"

I take a few strides towards him, placing a hand on his shoulder, "You have to let that go. Sure, there's some bad apples, but have you ever seen a tree without them?"

"A few?" He scoffs, "These guys are all rotten, you know?"

I turn to Haruka, exchanging smiles as we both face Mitsuharu.

"We're the good apples," Haruka grins, "You can tell me or Kiki anything, trust us!"

He looks at the two of us, almost bewildered at first. And then he smirks; something so shy of a smile it almost hurts. 

"Then I guess I'll be a good apple too."

* * *

A few hours pass, as the majority of us gather in the dining hall, plates stacked high with food in front of us. With the exception of Kaso, Daiki and Amai, the room is bustling with chatter and the clinking of cutlery. Though Charlotte, Tory and Yashira still linger in the back of my mind, their memories feel almost pleasant. Like they're watching over us. 

I notice Shiro and Mamo even more immersed in their conversation, as if the relief of neither of them being the blackened brought them closer together - almost literally, their fingers merely millimetres apart. 

Before I can continue to eat, a meek little _ding_ sound leaves us all silent, turning to the direction of the noise.

Kohi, holding a glass of water and a fork. He stands on a chair, elevated above all of us, nervousness creeping into his lips.

"U-um," He murmurs, "Hi. I wanted to make an announcement?" 

Aki munches into her plate of animal crackers, watching Kohi with wide eyes. She sits contently on Kuroko's lap - who already seems to have recovered from her second outburst. 

"Sure, go ahead," Haruka grins. 

Kohi looks at his wellingtons, flushing bright red, "I-I want to dedicate this meal, not only to our lost friends. But to someone else." 

He turns to Ayana, who sips her cup of tea in the corner. She seems alarmed when he points to her, clearly mortified at the recognition.

"Ayana," Kohi begins, "You stuck by me even when all the odds were stacked against me. You believed in me, and that's why we're all here right now. Thank you, thank you for trusting me so much. It means the world to me."

Her eyes widen, her grip on the cup tightening. She falters, "Oh, really?"

He beams, "Of course! No one has ever done that for me before. That... _is_ what you meant to do, right? O-oh god, did I get the wrong-"

"No, no," She smiles, looking into her teacup, "I meant it." 

Before anyone can respond, the loudspeaker screeches to life, booming with Monokuma's voice.

"A body has been discovered!" The loudspeaker screeches to life, its noise radiating across the room with a deathly echo, "You will now receive an allotted time of three hours to gather evidence for a class trial! Find the killer! Bring justice! Happy investigatin'!"

Panic rises around the room, cries of horror from others, some completely bewildered.

"Oh god!" Haruka turns pale, "Not again!"

"Th-that's not possible!" Mamo protests, "Th-the rules say that it has to be three students to discover a body, and there's only three of us gone."

"Oh lord," Shiro looks as if he's about to throw up.

In the midst of all the commotion, the loudspeaker screeches to life again, "Bloody shit! I played the wrong announcement and all. It's nighttime, ya fuckers! Go to bed, shoo, shoo!"

Sighs of relief from around the room. And yet still confused as ever. 

"Thank god," Kohi releases the air from his chest, "I-I'm gonna clean this up."

"Let me help," Ayana stands up immediately, grabbing a few plates. Shiro and Mamo do the same, collecting whatever cutlery they can find.

_Well, this looks like goodnight._

**12 STUDENTS REMAINING...**


	25. Intermission - 2: Anonymous?

_"You played the wrong announcement?"_

_I hold my head in my hands, combing through my hair as I try to process the utter stupidity, the idiocy._

_"I-I'm sorry!" The man protests, his voice still as grainy as ever from the handbook microphone. I sigh as I lean back in my chair, frustration flowing through my veins. That was risky. Too risky._

_"How?" I groan, "What was going through your brain?"_

_"I really am sorry!" He repeats, that thick accent still ever so prevalent, "P-please, boss. Forgive me."_

_I sigh, "Don't you know what you've done? We look weak, careless even. We can't hold that reputation amongst them, we're strong."_

_"I-I know," He mumbles, his words muffled slightly by his accent. Though not impossible for me to register his words, "I-I really am sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen. I-I can't see very well."_

_I toss my handbook onto my desk, gazing at the project lying on my bedside table. Light green fabric sewn into a circle. Only the bare-bones, though I can already picture the final result in my head._

_"B-boss," The man says again, voice shaky, "A-about the girl's handbook. It has the all-access key, c-correct? W-what if another participant were to discover it."_

_The thought had never crossed my mind, as I peer at the metallic device glinting in my pocket. As I turn it on, the screen lights up with all of her information, and the little red tag reading 'Priority Student'. The same tag as in mine._

_This one device allows access to any room in the school. Every door, every nook and cranny. Every document. And yet she only used it on the locker rooms. A foolish girl, perhaps setting herself up for her own death._

_"B-boss?" The man's voice snaps me out of my daze, as I try to readjust to the world outside of my thoughts._

_"Hm?" I lean back in my chair, relieving the tense air from my chest, "Oh, about Yashira's handbook. It would be foolish to keep it on me. I'll make sure it's out of bounds, okay?_ _No one will be able to access it."_

_"She was a stupid girl," He says, "Impulsive. Overthrown by anger."_

_I shake my head as if he can somehow see me, "Something tells me she was a little smarter than she let on. Impulsive, correct. Though she was rather calculating in some aspects."_

_"H-how so?" He croaks._

_"Well," I begin, "I believe she knew what she was doing the moment she hears about Aina's family. It was a calculated move, and she had everything planned thoroughly. Her downfall was the execution."_

_"Wh-whatever you say," The man whimpers, "I-I should go. It's late."_

_I remain silent, sinking into my leather desk chair as if it could just swallow me whole. I almost want it to, to let it consume me and wrap its arms around me._

_"G-goodbye?" He says, as if he wants me to exchange pleasantries before he scurries back into his little cave. Though I don't comply, merely hanging up the phone as the room falls into silence._

_Sighing, I scroll through my handbook. One by one, they're falling down. Picked off like cherries on a tree, only to be discarded like the hard stones beneath._

_Twelve students remain._

_And soon it shall be none._


	26. Chapter Three - 1: Third Time's the Charm

_My eyes open._

_I feel the cold prickle of stone against my back, tickling every inch of my body awake. A smooth, yet menacing breeze clings to my pores, sending a ghostly chill through me. The sound of drifting leaves and the whistling of wind surrounds me, cocooning me in a sense of uncertainty._

_This is all too familiar._

_Realisation flowing through me, I bolt upright, opening my eyes in a flash. It's the same brick building shrouded in most. The same concrete plaza. The same clusters of trees._   
_My same old kindergarten._

_I feel my heart racing._

_Why am I back here? Again._

_The feeling of nostalgia I had once had fades and only dread lingers in my heart. I rise to my feet, scanning my surroundings. There's nothing beyond the thick fog surrounding the school, perhaps only a void lying expectantly there. Ready to swallow me whole._

_And then I hear it again. An ear-piercing scream. It rings through the playground like an alarm, drilling into my brain. Though it drags out for longer, even longer. Never once stopping. Just a continuous scream._

_And then, so swift and agile. A shadow comes hurtling towards me. Black like ink, it barrels in my direction, growing closer and closer._

_Closer. Closer_

A cold chill passes through me as I jolt awake, the bitterness of reality flowing back to me. I force my eyelids open, adjusting to the sudden light of my room.

_Another weird dream._

I try to let the weight of the world wash over me before I slowly creep out of bed. As my foot touches the varnished wood floor, I feel like I want to topple over purely from my own mass.

Another three students dead. And we're down to twelve. 

Charlotte, Tory and Yashira all dwell in the back of my mind like looming phantoms as I throw some water on my face. Their faces, their whole existences taking up every square inch of my brain. All three merely ticking bombs on the brink of explosion. Three of us dead in a matter of a few days. I can't recall how long I've been standing in front of the en suite mirror for, blankly staring at my own reflection. Perhaps I ought to move, though my feet seem glued to the floor. After god knows how long of staring, I slump my way out of the bathroom, dressing in my now clean clothes. I missed the soft, comforting feeling of my own shirt and skirt, the memory of that scratchy Lorem polyester slowly fading away.

_But why can't they afford cotton?_

Eventually, I plough my way through the halls, rubbing my tired eyes of any remaining sleep crusting my lashes. No Haruka, No Mitsuharu. Just empty, the only sound the whirring of the air con. As I approach the dining hall, I glance back up at the wooden clock hanging just above the doorway. It seems neither of the hands has moved since yesterday. Nor since we got here.

_They really aren't about maintenance here, huh?_

Sighing, I turn the golden doorknob, gently pulling open the door to reveal the scene in front of me.

Chaos, mayhem, something I never could have expected even from a lot as wild as this. Voices spring across the hall, booming through the room like an overpowered speaker.   
I creep into the room, hoping I'm not assaulted the minute I step inside, only to see Kaso grabbing Kohi by the scruff of his shirt. He holds him inches from his face, his stare icy and interrogative. 

"Who the fuck do you think you are, shrimp ass?" Kaso hisses, clenching his teeth. His grip on the boy tightens, causing Kohi to whimper uncontrollably.

A few others are gathered around, either staring excitedly or wide-eyed with horror. Haruka spots me from across the room, her mouth filled with pastry and eyes filled with fear. Ayana is merely a metre away from the scene, cowering hopelessly beside one of the tables. A state I never expected such a stoic, sultry woman to be in. 

Kohi squirms, "I-I'm sorry! I didn't want to upset you." 

"Ya think you can walk around this dump tellin' _me_ what to do?" Kaso almost growls, his silver tooth gleaming in the light, "I could crush every damn bone in your body."

I clench my fists, trying to garner the courage to speak, "H-hey, what the hell is going on in here? Can someone explain?"

Shiro sashays forward, shoving Kuroko out of the way - though she doesn't seem particularly fussed. He smirks at me, "Of course I can explain." Flipping his long black hair behind him, he clears his throat, "We were all enjoying a lovely cooked breakfast from our dear Ayana," he turns to Ayana, completely oblivious to her terrified face, "Delectable, might I add. Anyway, Kaso found it necessary to call Ayana many horrible things and, naturally, Kohi was angry. You know how these things are, young love and such. And now we're here."

"I-I don't like her!" Kohi protests, still struggling under Kaso's grip, "N-not like that..."

"Well, look, I don't know what was said," I take a few strides towards them, "But you're being so rough! You could break him. There's no need to be violent, Kaso."

"You askin' for it too?" He glares at me, looming over me as he leans closer to my face. His hot breath tickles my skin, the scent of peppermint filling my nostrils. 

"N-no!" I stammer, immediately stepping back, "C'mon, let him go. He's just trying to defend his friend. I don't know what went on with you and Ayana, but let's just put our differences aside."

"Put our differences aside?" A smooth voice sounds from the other side of the room. I whirl, and Ayana is stood to her full height again. Her skin is pale and flushed, yet so strangely cold.

"You don't know what this man has done," She scowls, slowly stepping towards me. Each click of her heeled boots quickens the pace of my pounding heart, "We can't just put our differences aside. You don't understand."

"Ayana," Haruka musters the courage to mumble, "Kihona didn't know, let's just forge-"

"No, no, Ayana," Kaso smirks, that same smirk I want to wipe off his smug little face, "Why don't you tell everyone? C'mon, what's the deal?"

She takes a deep inhale, biting her quivering lip. Her gaze diverts from Kaso, fixated on the floor, "N-no. I don't want to."

"Pussying out?" Kaso cocks his head, "Aw, what a damn shame. I guess I'm just a nice guy after all. You guys forgive me, right?"

Kuroko nods ever so slightly before Mamo placed a firm hand on her shoulder. _I never even noticed he was here. Kinda creepy._

"Fine!" Ayana yells, her voice cracking, "You were a narcissist, bully, sex addict and complete egomaniac. You ruined my life. You ruined our child's life by leaving. That girl would be dying of scurvy if it weren't for me, while you got to make the memories. You bonded with her. I don't even know my own daughter, and it's your damn fault."

Complete silence, rich with shock and confusion. Her whole speech replays over and over in my mind like a broken record, every word deep with disgust. Anger. Heartbreak.

Kaso slowly claps, chuckles escalating into roars of hysterics. He drops Kohi, allowing him to drop to the floor. I'm surprised he hasn't broken a bone, though he doesn't seem particularly comfortable.

"Nice show, baby girl," Kaso grins, lip curling, "Can I have a go? You're a damn slut, you ate up my dick and you know it. Bet you're still in love with me. Don't blame ya, honestly."

"I'd never stoop so low," Her voice raises slightly, though she seems almost too intimated to raise it any more, "You're just a coward."

"What was that?" Kaso's growl escalated into a deep roar, his clenched teeth grinding in his mouth as he jolts closer to her. Ayana flinches, recoiling as she cowers away from him in pure terror. Her arms shroud her pale face, trying her best to scramble away from him.

"You wanna say that again?" He snarls, his eyes hungry and menacing. Ready to pounce for his prey, "Go on, say it louder, I'm listening."

"Th-this is getting out of hand!" Mamo cries, dashing towards Ayana. He sweeps her off the floor, dragging Kohi along with them as he pulls them out of the dining hall. Shiro springs to attention and trails them, not once turning back. 

Trying my best to comprehend what just happened, I scan the room again. Only four of us left; Kaso, Haruka, Kuroko and me. I can't even look at Kaso, my heart thumping merely from his presence. His sharp jaw and equally as razor-edged as his eyes. That cold blue stare.

"What just happened?" Kuroko tilts her head, "I-is Kaso dangerous?"

"Clearly," I mutter, though I avoid making eye contact.

"What's going on?" A little voice croaks from the hallway, "I just woke up and I heard yelling."

We turn almost in sync to see Aki, standing lonesome in front of the double doors. She's so meek and frail, I'd barely noticed her entering. 

"Hey, Aki," Haruka grins.

"Sorry I didn't come down sooner," She rubs a sleepy grey eye, sauntering towards Kuroko, "I didn't want anyone to yell at me."

"Heh," Kaso scoffs, "Whatever, kid. No one's safe." 

"Anyways," Aki glances at Kaso, "I just had a light bulb. It came on in my head, and I wanna show you it."

"Light bulb?" Kuroko frowns, "You mean you had an idea?" 

"I lost my eye ages ago," Aki mutters, "I had a light bulb. I was thinking about Yashi's toebook-"

"Handbook," I blurt out, "You mean handbook."

"Fingerbook," Aki continues, scratching under her eyepatch, "Like, Monokuma says it has the key. So can we get it?" 

Haruka taps her chin, "Yeah, that's a good point, actually."

Some more people enter the room, raising their various questions about the topic, followed shortly by our explanation. Soon, our numbers have increased to Mitsuharu, Daiki and Amai.

"So," Kuroko says, "What do we do? Go get it?"

Daiki rolls his eyes, "As if we even know where it is." 

"Monokuma is the only one who would know," I say, lost in thought.

Before I can continue down that road, my prayers are practically answered for me, as Monokuma comes bouncing into the room with his usual maniacal laugh. 

"Eyup!" He shrieks, taking his place on Kuroko's lap. She seems terrified but doesn't dare to resist.

"What's poppin'?" The bear continues, "Heard my name so I found it fitting to come show my face." 

"Yashira's handbook," Mitsuharu says, sweeping his auburn hair out of his eyes. I can't help but feel so drawn to him at that moment, like I'm a magnet being pulled to his dozens of piercings, "You have it, right?" 

"Maaaaybe," Monokuma grins, "Why, whaddaya want?" 

"We want it!" Amai snaps, "That thing can access any room in the school, and we demand you give it to us."

Chaos ensues again, though this time it's spots of incredibly loud conversation from around the room. I don't want to speak, barely mustering the energy to make a small sound. Just stranded in their voices.

"Alright, alright!" Monokuma screams, "I'll tell ya the truth. But pinkie promise you won't tell the popular kids, okay?"

"Okay?" Haruka raises an eyebrow.

"Alright," The bear sighs, "Truth be told, it's locked up. Somewhere you'll never get to. It's being kept in an out of bounds area somewhere on campus."

"But we can go look for it, right?" Mitsuharu seems suddenly intrigued. 

"Well," Monokuma says, "If ya can do it in precisely 10 seconds, sure! But...

He stares at the floor, his once peppy speech replaced with whirring like a disc in a drive. Until each handbook pings with an alert

_'Principal Monokuma has added a new rule! Tap to view'_   
_'Rule 14: You may not search for any deceased students' handbook. They are placed in an out of bounds area and entering such will result in punishment."_

I gulp. Those spears are the only things that plague my mind. _Can't let that be me._

"Now that we've got that malarkey out of the way," Monokuma chirps, "I have a very special surprise for you all. The bus is gonna be 'ere in ten minutes so get yer asses outside!"

"Great," Mitsuharu rolls his eyes, the sarcasm in his voice more prominent than ever, "Just peachy." 

"Shouldn't somebody wake the others up?" Haruka tilts her head.

Daiki glances at Kaso, "We're on it, huh?"

"No fucking way," Kaso grunts.

"Please?"

"Okay, sure."

* * *

I can't recall the bus ride to our destination. A blurry part of my memory, lost in the sea of other crap I've had to endure. Not a single moment of it dwells among my thoughts, just a dried leaf drifting through the wind. 

By the time I feel my feet on the ground, our group appears to have been dropped off outside a concrete palace. A colossal skyscraper, like a cheap tower block that's just been dumped here overnight. So grotesque amongst the beautiful architecture of Lorem - or what likely once was. The group appears to be all twelve of us now, though I don't remember how that came to be.

"Gross," Amai fakes vomiting noises, "Is this our surprise? Thanks a lot, dumbass bear."

Kaso smirks, "This his sex den? We gettin' slammed until someone kills someone?"

"D-don't joke about that," Mamo says, staring at the dusty floor.

We remain in pure silence for a few moments longer, though they feel more like minutes. Just staring. Staring at the tower block in front of us. Waiting. Wondering.

"Like what ya see?" A voice from behind us calls, and to no surprise, it's Monokuma, "This is the scene of your next motive! How about you take a look inside?"

The bear's words prompt Aki to take the first look, dragging Kuroko and Mamo as she does. Shiro does his best to follow suit. Aki's frail hands tug at the door handles until they wedge open. One by one, we enter the building.

A large, plain room. The walls are painted an off white colour, nothing decorating their bare surface. Just a blank slate. The floor is all too similar - a bare wood with a single bench in the middle. 

Though what intimidates me the most is the sheer amount of doors surrounding us. There must be at least eight of them, all so close together. _What purpose do they serve?_

I gulp down my nerves, trying to regain my strength. Glancing at Haruka, I notice she looks all the same. Terrified, almost.

"Isn't it just pretty?" Monokuma chimes, dancing his way to the front of the group, "I put a lot of work into the paint job and all."

"Explain why we're here," Mitsuharu says, folding his arms.

"Someone's eager!" The bear giggles, "Okay, lemme explain."

He clears his 'throat', "Welcome to your third motive! This is a little something something I like to call 'The Game!''

_The Game?_ Those words hover in the air as if they've only just left the bear's mouth. Yet the room is silent.

"No joy?" Monokuma sighs, "Whatevs, I'll send an alert to yer handbooks with all the deets. For now, line up ya dirty bastards!"


	27. Chapter Three - 2: The Game

My feet tap against the veneer wood floor, waiting for Monokuma to make his next move. He stands motionless with his back to us, that same faint whirring sound still ever so prominent. Like some sort of air conditioning. Or mechanical strings being pulled in his little body.

"I really can't be arsed explaining," He says suddenly, turning back to us with a sharp snap, "So I'll let the handbooks do the talkin'! Night night, motherfuckers!" 

That last sentence triggers some sort of alarm in me, my heart racing. _What the hell is he talking about?_

And yet before I can even begin to question it, a hiss sounds in the room. A low, constant hiss. Like an air freshener that never stops.

We look up to the ceiling, only to see gas pouring in from the metal panels. It comes rolling as it charges towards us, engulfing us in the thick smog. It's the smell that hits me first - an acrid stench of solvent and rotting carcasses swarming my nostrils, ticking every follicle of hair. My head starts to pound, as if all the weight has drained from it, and I can feel my feet grow weaker under my own mass. 

Slowly, slowly, my body gives out.

And then black

* * *

_9:05 AM_

Still black. Perhaps all I've ever known. Just this blank slate of nothingness staring back at me like a gaping void. Wrapping me in its cold, frail arms with a tight grasp, never letting me go. 

Until I open my eyes.

Light floods my eyes as I slowly regain consciousness, an off white ceiling greeting me, coffee stains and all. This feels oddly familiar. Perhaps too familiar. Almost as soon as life comes flowing back to me, I sit up, trying to steady the dizziness still swimming in my brain. It's the same white walls and floor, though smaller. Much smaller. With one of those dreaded wooden doors I had seen before, two on either wall beside me. As if they're leading to other areas.

_Am I in one of those rooms?_

Immediately, I scramble to my feet and clamber at the door, trying to pull, push, kick, anything I can possibly do to bust the thing open, but it doesn't budge. No sign of a lock or a key, just a door wedged shut by some unbreakable force. I try the other two doors but to no avail. They remain as tightly shut as if they've been welded together. Sighing, I suppose this is Monokuma's version of an additional motive, and scan the room. It's plain, with a single bed and lamp. Behind the bed is another small door leading to an en-suite bathroom, though much lesser equipped than our personal dorms. Before I can do anything, I remember Monokuma's final words before my body hit the ground.

_'I really can't be arsed explaining. I'll let the handbooks do the talkin'!'_

Snatching my handbook from my pocket, I turn it on with haste and open the announcements tab. To no surprise, there's a new update labelled _'_ The Game'. As I open it, a massive wall of text appears that I have no choice but to read.

_'KIHONA HIDEYOSHI: A_

_Dear participant,_   
_Your current situation is an additional motive provided by Headmaster Monokuma. We hope these rules will allow you to understand your role in The Game._

_The Game rules are as follows:_

_1\. You have been placed in a rotation of eight rooms, each connected by a door. Do not leave your room unless instructed._

_2.You have been assigned either 'A' or 'B'. Every four hours, the magnetic doors connecting the rooms will unlock and an alarm will sound. Any student labelled 'A' will move along to the next room. Students labelled 'B' must stay where they are for the duration of The Game._

_3\. Do not attempt to open the main door, as this will remain locked throughout. Forcing the doors open results in immediate punishment._

_4\. Some rooms will not contain students labelled 'B'. Do not be alarmed._

_5\. You will be provided with one meal each rotation. If you are sharing a room with another student, you will have to share this ration._

_6\. The rotations will continue until a body is discovered. Once a student is considered dead, all of the doors will unlock. You are then free to leave._

_7\. You have been provided with a single-use pocket knife. Use this wisely._

_8\. What happens within the game stays within the game. Even if essential, you must not share where you were, who you saw or what you did unless given explicit permission._

_9\. Refusal to follow any of these rules will result in immediate punishment._

I frown as I keep reading, scrolling through the tab with my finger. Surely this isn't enough to convince someone to kill?   
Whirling, I turn to the bedside dresser. Monokuma is right, he has left a pocket knife. It looks similar to a switchblade, sharpened to the finest point. Gulping, I put the thing down and settle onto the bed.

_Looks like we're in for a boring 4 hours._

**********************************

_10:46 AM_

I open one of the drawers in the bedside table, hoping to find at least a scrap of entertainment. Though I'm left utterly defeated, merely greeted by a single, black ballpoint pen and a pad of lined paper. If only I had at least an ounce of art skills, perhaps it would be of some entertainment to me. But my fingers were never blessed with the craft, nor my brain blessed with the dedication. Sighing, I pull them out with a shrug and drag the pen across the paper in a random array of squiggles. Maybe I could fill the page with the pen, or I could draw faces in little shapes. It takes me back to my middle school days - my final weeks before I was thrown out of the prestige comfort of private schools. Though state school is normality - not something to be frowned upon - the cruel, cut-throat nature of my classmates was potentially the most humbling experience of my life.  
I can't think back to those days. It's too dangerous. Yet they clog my mind over and over. Those dreams, those visions. _A scream, a black shadow._

_I remember too much._

I look back down at my paper after snapping out of my daze, only to see I've torn straight through it. At least five sheets shredded by the pressure of the pen. I don't know what happened, as if my soul had left my body. But I don't want to think about it. Not now.

* * *

_11:34 AM_

Pure boredom seeps into my skull like pus leaking from an infected wound. All I feel is my back against the painted wall, my body slouched on the ground. I don't even want to sleep on the bed, just lying as if I'm floating through a bed of water. Staring aimlessly at the ceiling. 

_At least we aren't dead, right?_

I've probably scanned my handbook at least a million times by now, desperately praying Monokuma would release some funny video or vital information. And though my efforts have usually been fruitless, I take it upon myself to check again. Flicking the machine on, I'm met with the same screen. The rules of The Game - rules that I still find so hard to grasp after all this time. How will this convince us to kill? The switchblade stares back at me with its metallic gleam as if it's taunting me. Mocking me. Turning back to my handbook, I notice a tiny tab I hadn't encountered on my dozens of other read-throughs. In lettering as small as a footnote reads 'Rotation Order'. Something about that button fends me away, warning me to never come near it again. Its tiny letters, tucked away just below the mountains of game rules, like it was never meant to be there in the first place.

But surely I have to.

Clicking on it, the screen loads to a white square separated into eight. It's blank, with no additional text.

_Underwhelming to say the least_

_But what purpose does it serve?_

The emptiness haunts me as I slide my handbook back into my shirt pocket, barely taking a look at the thing until it's out of my sight. 

Before I can think about my next arduous endeavour, I notice a small opening in the door, almost like a cat flap. It opens up, as a gloved hand slides through the window and drops in a plate of food.

A cheese sandwich; like one of those ones you'd get on a trip to the zoo in kindergarten. Just like any other sandwich, but somehow so different. 

_At least we're alive._

* * *

_12:50 PM_  
The plate is clean of the cheese sandwich. I hadn't even been particularly hungry, this morning's breakfast still full in my stomach. Though eating seems perhaps one of the best pastimes in this squat little room. I glance at my handbook clock, realising we have fifteen minutes until release. 

_Thank god I'm an A._

Fifteen painful, excruciating minutes. 

Sighing, I lean back against the single bed. Every moment I've spent in here has only worsened my mental state, clawing at my mind like a pack of wolves. Scratching out any possible part that could make me feel remotely entertained. The bathroom wasn't particularly much - just a toilet and shower hanging loosely from a cord. A strangely long cord that could probably stretch into the next room. And what for? If the mastermind really wants us to kill, why give us the luxury of showering? The feeling of layers of sweat caking up my pores already makes me want to murder someone. Sighing, I wait. Waiting for longer and longer. Minutes feel like hours, days even, slowly ticking down to the five past one mark.

The moment I can leave this room. 

12:57

12:58

All I can do it keep my eyes glued to the screen, as if tearing them away would kill me instantly. 

My fingers tremble against the metal edges, shaking more and more as each minute goes down.

13:03

I blink and minutes have gone by, though it seems like the slowest blink ever. As if my eyes are suspended in a vacuum.

13:05.

A blaring sound booms through the loudspeakers like some sort of prison alarm. I cover my ears to shield from the pain, almost masking the sound of the doors clicking open.

"That's four hours, ladies!" Monokuma chirps, hidden god knows where, "And gents too, I guess. Don't wanna be sexist. And non-binary folks of course. Please move along through the door marked with a red cross within two minutes. If not, you get the spear! Have fun!"

The feedback cuts out, leaving me in total silence. Staring longingly at the door to the left of me, I gawk at the red tape slapped on to form an X. Those portraits flood my mind.

The portraits of our dead friends.

Taking a deep breath in, I prepare to walk through the door. Inch by inch, I push the door ajar, hoping and praying there isn't some ghastly sight waiting for me on the other side. Someone's inside, though I can't quite make out who. Until the scent of old books, must and dirt fills my nostrils.

"Hello," Her little voice croaks, staring back up at me with her little grey eye.

I close the door gently behind me, releasing the tense air from my chest.

"Boy, isn't this gonna be fun, isn't it Aki?"


	28. Chapter Three - 3: Rotations

_13:05_

  
Aki's pale face stares back at me, her thin, almost blue lips gape open like a fish. She cocks her little head, her scraggly blue locks falling into her eye. Her snails are close by - the snails I had completely forgotten about until now.

"Hello," She repeats, as if it's the only word she's ever known, "Hello Kiho. Kihona." 

I force a smile, "Hey there."

She sits cross-legged on the floor, patting the spot next to her as if she's beckoning me to sit. But it's barely an inch wide - hardly an adequate space for my body. 

"Sit," She mumbles, "Please?"

Slowly, I slide down the wall and onto the hardwood floor, though backed up against the door to avoid crushing her under my weight.

_Sure didn't give us much room in here._

_Then again, probably the point._

"So," I bite my lip, "You an A or a B? What does your handbook say?"

"Fingerbook," Aki reiterates, "I'm a B. Buzz buzz."

She presses her lips together, continuing to make crude bee noises in between her fits of giggling. I can't help but feel my heart melt, her excited little face enough to light up a whole street. It's as if those dark circles don't even exist as long as she smiles.

I grin. "So, you're in here all day? Who was in here last?"

"Can't say," Aki shakes her head with intense vigour, "Monokuma won't like that."

"Oh damn, yeah," I shrug.

"Naughty word."

I raise an eyebrow but I choose not to question her. Twenty years old and somehow trapped in a ten-year-old's body. Perhaps even younger. Though it's impossible to tell where she may have lost herself, or for how long.

Without thinking, I catch myself gazing at her. Gazing at her listless eye, glassy like varnished tears. Something about the dirt and grime clinging to her freckled skin is almost pleasant, as if it's meant to be there.

"What do you wanna do?" She says eventually, the silence shattering as she strokes Cthulhu and Lucifer, "You wanna play duck duck goose?"

"I don't really think there's enough room for that," I laugh nervously, staring at the snails with the utmost hesitance. _One wrong move and those things are dead under my feet._

"Okie then," She grumbles, "I don't know any other games, sorry."

"Really?" I tilt my head, "You only know duck duck goose?"

She nods, "Yup, I learnt it from school. Big meanie boy used to bonk me with his hands and call me a goose. Once I went to heaven."

"You died?" My jaw drops and I'm barely able to contain my pure shock.

"No," She pulls her knees to her chest, settling the snails down on the bedside table, "I went to sleep. But like, a looooong sleep. For like three weeks."

"You were in a coma?" My horror isn't lessened as she speaks. 

"I dunno what that is," She shrugs, "Sounds tasty."

Sighing again, I can barely process another sentence. She's strange, ever so strange. Yet it's so endearing.

All of a sudden I can only think back to the week before. The night before Minato's murder. Aki's sombre words that she likely barely understood herself.

_"What's alcohol? I heard my mommy talking about it once. She said it made her angry."_

"Aki?" I blurt out, barely able to process my words before they spurt out of my mouth like a tap exploding, "Are you okay?"

She looks puzzled, patting her knees as she stares at the floor, "Wha? Yeah, I'm okay. You?"

"N-no," I laugh nervously, the sudden weight of my words crashing down upon me, "I mean in general. You've said some pretty concerning stuff while we're here, Aki." 

"What does that mean?" She tilts her head.

"It's making me worry," I say, "I may not be licensed yet, but I am a psychologist. I want to help."

"Okie," Aki mumbles, chewing on her tongue, "Whaddaya wanna say?"

I clear my throat, "You said alcohol reminded you of your mom, right?"

"Oh, that stuff?" She nods, "Yeah, my daddy said that mommy has a problem. I dunno what he meant by that."

"This morning," I say, tapping my chin, "You didn't want to come down until the yelling stopped, right? Why?"

Aki pauses, chewing on her lip. She blinks, trailing a finger along the floor.

"Were you scared?"

I barely even have time to finish what I'm saying before the wailing begins. 

She flings herself around my waist, her little sobs muffled by my shirt. As her legs flail in my lap, I feel all I can do is lightly pat her head, hoping such a meek gesture will offer even an ounce of comfort.

"I don't want them to yell anymore!" She cries, "Make them stop it, I hate it!"

My hand grasps at a tuft of her blue hair, as my slender fingers slowly comb through the bunches of grease and knots. Yet it doesn't bother me, as I continue to brush through. Stroke by stroke as she sobs into my shirt.

"It's okay, Aki," I say, my voice soft as I speak, "Why are you scared? Do you think they'll hurt you?

Through her dozens of sniffles, she nods, wiping her runny nose on her arm. _If only there were tissues in these rooms._

"Whenever I go downstairs when there's yelling," She croaks, though her usual croak is so much more choked. So afraid, "Somebody yells at me. I don't like being yelled at..."

"I'm sorry, Aki," I say, as if I feel obliged to, though my responses feel automatic almost, "Kaso is just a god damn prick. But Ayana doesn't want to hurt you, she would never. She has a kid of her own, you know?"

I can't help but think of Kaso's smug face, the devious little curl of his lips, that menacing twinkle in his narrowed blue eyes. Every part of my being wants to slap him, yet I know he'd overpower me easily. A force to not be reckoned with.

"Will Kaso hurt Yana?" Aki glances at my tie, as if she's mesmerised by it, "He's pretty big."

I bite my lip, silence clogging my throat. I can't answer. I don't want to answer. I don't even think I know the answer.

_Will he hurt Ayana?_

Gulping, I set Aki aside, "U-um, I think Cthulhu and Lucifer are awake now."

Aki cocks her head, turning to the dresser and then back to me, "They were never sleeping, silly." 

I shrug, "Maybe you should sleep?"

* * *

_16:59_

  
I don't even know how long has passed since Aki fell asleep in my arms. Minutes, hours maybe. Just an eternity of time, only listening to her soft, nasally breathing as she sleeps on my lap. Watching her nostrils flare and her eyelashes flutter every minute or so, maybe an occasional mumble. Something so sombre and mundane, yet I feel as if no time has passed at all. Her snails still scuttle around the dresser, occasionally shrinking back into their shells before rearing their slimy heads from the cocoon. Though I didn't particularly pay attention. At some point, another sandwich had been slid through the door, but the lingering fullness from the previous meal doesn't leave me keen to eat it.

Before I can even look back at Aki, the alarm sounds again, as the announcement plays shortly after. My heart sinks into my stomach, a huge lump creeping up into my throat. 

_X marks the door._

Gently, I move Aki aside, carrying her to the bed with as much care as possible, as if her frail body will break any moment. Once she's free from my arms, I head to the marked door, holding my breath as I begin to push it open.

Before I enter, I turn back into the room, taking one last glance at Aki. She remains asleep, sucking on her thumb as diligently as if it were a fancy meal. 

I grin, "Night night, gremlin."

"Who on earth are you talking to?" A voice calls from inside the next room, a suave, deep voice, smooth like honey. I turn sharply, slamming the door behind me as the magnets click shut.

Shiro.

He's strangely more shabby than usual, his once silky black hair now a slightly ruffled mess. His top buttons are undone, and his cravat uncentered as if he's just gotten dressed. Sweat rolls down his smooth dark skin, gold flecks from his lip gloss smeared across his cheeks.

"Huh, me?" I back up against the wall, though I know he's not planning anything. Yet, "O-oh, I was talking to-"

I catch myself blabbering, smacking my palm over my mouth. ' _What happens within the game stays within the game. Even if essential, you must not share where you were, who you saw or what you did.'_

"What in the world are you doing?" Shiro tilts his head, straightening his cravat as he buttons up the remainder of his shirt, "Oh, yes, you aren't supposed to tell me, are you?"

His voice is chipper - unusually chipper, yet still sleek as a sheet of velvet. 

"Why are you so happy all of a sudden?" I frown, settling down on the bed.

A smirk spreads across his face, "Oh, darling. Perhaps we should say it was a rather rough four hours."

I cringe slightly, watching as he chuckles and fixes his hair. I don't know whether it's the idea of him having sex with one of us, or his rather distasteful delivery. 

"Right," I say, "Probably shouldn't have asked."

Suddenly, I feel my heart racing, my eyes darting around the room in a heated panic.

"You're not going to-"

"Don't fret, dear Kihona," Shiro coos, "I have no intention of doing such things with you. When I find someone, I am devoted to them and them only. You are not the one I am devoted to."

Unsure whether to feel relieved or insulted by his bluntness, I release the air from my chest, feeling my lungs loosen up. Shiro fiddles with his cufflinks, striding into the en suite to catch a glimpse of his beauty in the mirror. He tries to flatten every stray hair, eyelash or fleck of gold lip gloss, until he re-enters as stunning as ever. 

_Can't imagine how Mamo will feel._

_Or was it Mamo?_

I shake those thoughts away. Such an innocent boy, does he even have the guts?

* * *

_17:06_

Alone. Alone in this cold, crammed cupboard of a room, only the trickling of water from Shiro's shower able to keep me company. Nothing to do. Nothing to say. Just trapped, trapped like a frightened bunny.

The switchblade is still secure in my shirt pocket, sitting untouched. Hopefully remaining untouched. 

_Someone's knife could have been used. In the next room, in the previous room. Anyone could be dead, and we'll never know._

Before I can continue that thought, the door to the en suite swings open, revealing a rather wet Shiro. A rather shirtless Shiro. 

A towel wrapped tightly around his waist keeps him decent. I feel as if I shouldn't look, yet I'm captivated. Amazed almost. His skin is smooth and hairless - not a bump or a bruise in sight. The lack of makeup on his face doesn't take away from his beauty, his chiselled face matching perfectly to his firm chest and slim body. Every inch of him seems to glow gold, as if he's been lathered in powdered coins. 

I can't tear my eyes away. He's like a magnet. He's stunning.

With a gentle smile, he notices my glances, "Apologies, I forgot to take my clothes in the bathroom. You don't mind?"

I flush, feeling my cheeks warm up, "N-no. Take your time."

Without an even slightly awkward glance, he glides towards the pile of crumpled up clothes on the floor. I never remember him undressing in front of me, and it's likely something I wouldn't forget no matter my exhaustion.

As he leaves again, the heat on my cheeks still radiates across my face, leaving me a fresh pink. 

_Oh my god, Shiro is hot._

* * *

_18:34_

The flap to the door opens, sending my heart racing as that same gloved hand drops in another plate of food. Shiro's glimmering eyes widen, the sparkle only intensifying as he glares suspiciously at the package in front of us, eyeing up every inch of it like a preying hawk.

_Yeah, we get it. He's hot._

Upon closer inspection, it appears to be a bowl of potatoes slammed into some crappy mayonnaise and garnished with a single clump of chives. Perhaps the worst potato salad

I've ever laid my eyes upon.

I glance at Shiro, raising an eyebrow, "You wanna eat that?"

He takes one final look as the colour drains from his face, "N-no, I'd rather not."

"Might taste better than it looks," I shrug, pulling the bowl to my lap, "Never judge a book by its cover or whatever." 

"I believe the cover says an awful lot about a book," Shiro picks at his acrylic nails, "For instance, a book with a poorly crafted cover is likely poorly crafted in writing. I should

know, I have read a fair few books in my life."

"You never came across as the reading type," I say with a slight smile. Though he's elegant and charming, I've never viewed him as particularly studious. Whether it's cologne fumes clouding his brain or just a marvellous act.

He rolls his eyes, "I was rather forced to as a child. I didn't particularly enjoy it, but I eventually fell in love with the art of words. Isn't painting a wonderful picture with such beautiful languages the greatest picture of all?"

I almost throw up in my mouth, the sickliness clinging to the back of my throat. Almost on instinct, I pick up the plastic fork and carve into the bowl of potatoes, brining it to my lips without hesitation. And it enters my mouth.

Shiro scoffs, "Any good?"

I shrug, taking in the flavours as they wash over my mouth, "Not spectacular, but not horrific. I'm not hungry enough to care."

"Hm," He narrows his eyes, snatching his lip gloss from his pocket. That same lip gloss that never seems to run out.

"Hey, Shiro," I cock my head, "You seem to like that gloss. It looks amazing on you, where can I get it?"

As he slathers it onto his lips, he smiles, "Oh, this? It's my mother's, she created it with her own genius. It's one of the most popular on the market for darker skin tones like my own."

"Your mom owns a company too?" My jaw drops, "Damn, you must be rolling in it."

He smirks, "Could you not already tell? But indeed, my mother is somewhat of a public figure herself, so my father made the decision for a collaboration with her. Rutherford Cosmetics, a rather unimaginative name, but it sells."

"Oh yeah," I grin, "I remember now. It had that really popular eyeliner, everyone raved about it for months."

He nods, curling his lip into a smug smile. Though a comforting smugness, "Most certainly. It is a rather good product, it excels in comparison to its siblings."

I cock my head at the analogy, but decide not to question him.

Silence lingers in the room as if it's a potent odour clinging to the walls and floor. It seems to never end, and all I can find myself doing is shuffling awkwardly as I tap my fingers against the floor.

"You know, dear Kihona," Shiro sighs, leaning against the bed as the silence shatters, "I truly don't understand what's so wrong with this. Why would this ever convince someone to kill?"

"The thought isn't lost on me," I say. But I can't shake the image from my head. The switchblade still sitting in my pocket as if it's waiting. Waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Who knows who the others are with? Perhaps Kaso has gone round all rooms slaughtering everyone in his view as if they're wild animals. Those hunting eyes red with fury, his strong hands red with blood.

I shake my head and the thoughts scurry as I grip the floor to keep me steady. It won't happen. There's no way.

I gulp, turning back to Shiro, "Y-yeah. I don't see why either."

"In fact," Shiro flashes a look to me. A look I can't describe. His eyes light up with a twinkle as if he's elated, though the almost devious smirk leaves me completely bewildered.

He reaches for me, taking my slim hand in his own. The smoothness of his skin catches me off guard and I shudder, sending waves of electricity through me.

His eyes meet mine, "This has been the best thing that's ever happened to me. By far, nothing will ever match the beauty of this day."

I try and force words out, but I'm still mesmerised by that expression. So calm, so tranquil, his golden aura sending me dazed, "Wh-why's that?"

"I've fallen in love, Kihona."


	29. Chapter Three - 4: Round and Round

_20:56_

Those words never fully settle in the room, no matter how long it's been. No matter how many seconds, minutes, hours tick by on the handbook clock. No matter how many shuffles or coughs break the endless awkward silence, his final words to me still linger in the air, creeping into my brain like mites.

_Shiro has fallen in love._

Of course, there seems only one plausible option as to the recipient. The way Shiro had gazed at Mamo during breakfast seemed so fixated, so purposeful. It's not possible he could have his eyes on anyone else.

How would Mamo feel about all of this? 

My mind flashes back to when we'd first spoken properly, sitting anxiously with cups of tea in our hands, the fear of this killing game still fresh in the air.

_"H-he seems sweet, I guess. But I'm not sure if it's right."_

Before I can even clear my throat to speak, the alarm sounds again, causing both Shiro and me to flinch - perhaps a little dramatically. Monokuma's usual announcement plays, signalling me to travel through the next door. 

As I slowly rise to my feet, I can't help but feel my heart sink. I glance back to Shiro, who remains seated on the floor, staring at the ceiling as if it's holding him in a trance. And a smile; a small, meagre smile, though it holds so much weight. I can practically read his whole mind through the cheerful curl of his lips, lost deep in his thoughts.

The magnets click open to let me through to the next room, and I grasp the silver handle.

"You'll be okay without me, right?" I tilt my head.

Shiro nods, not making eye contact with me, "Of course, dear. I shall see you when we're free of this carousel."

"Funny way to put it," I chuckle, pushing the door to the next room wide open, striding through as I wave goodbye to Shiro for the final time.

* * *

_21:05_

A yawn passes over me as I close the door behind me, waiting for that satisfying click of the magnetic lock. Sighing, I feel all the tense air push out from my lungs, the freshness of normalcy flooding my chest.

Soft snoring - that's all I hear. A gentle purr of delicate breathing, slow-paced and almost shallow. A comforting noise, like a sleeping kitten or baby. I glance down to the bed propped in the corner of the room - just like the rest - to be greeted with a relieving sight.

Kohi, sleeping soundly. 

There's something so cute about seeing him dream. The covers don't even wrap around his body, as he curls up across the now crumpled sheets. He holds one of the pillows in an embrace, snuggling his little blonde head against it. That same warmness radiates across his face, despite the sickliness of his skinny body. I don't want to wake him. His peaceful little snores are just too cute to disturb. But something feels odd, so unsettling about watching him sleep. 

_It's not even that late, right? Surely he can survive._

Hesitating, I creep towards the bed, my heart thunking as I grow closer. I crouch beside him, my finger hovering shakily above his flush little cheek, aching to poke him. This feels so wrong, but it would either way.

"Hey, Kohi?" I cock my head, finally poking his cheek. 

A shriek, a flinch, a whack; Kohi springs up from his slumber, whacking so hard against the wall I fear he'll break. 

"Yana!" He cries out in pain, before rubbing his eyes and blinking at me. The realisation that I'm not Ayana likely hits him hard as his face saddens. 

"Oh god, did I hurt you?" I say frantically, patting his back. 

He shakes his head, "N-no, it's fine. I shouldn't be sleeping so early. I just got a little fatigued is all."

I sigh, "Good, you sure you're okay though?"

Nodding, a smile spreads across his face as he sits up, "All good. Would you mind passing me my bag?" 

His satchel lies on the floor beside the dresser, that same teddy bear keyring dangling freely from one of the many leather buckles. Its slanted eyes and poorly sewn mouth give

it a rather wayward expression, as if it's been made by hand.

"You made that?" As if on instinct, the words leave my mouth, "The little bear, I mean."

"Hm?" Kohi snaps out of his own little world, "You mean my bear? Oh, no, I'm not that talented."

I glance at the keyring again before passing the whole bag to Kohi. It's an awfully dirty thing, layered in gunk that could have been there for years. The buttons on its miniature shirt have likely long fallen off, lost somewhere in the history of Kohi. I wonder where those buttons could have gotten to. In the midst of my thought, I catch a glimpse of him rummaging around in the satchel, pulling out what looks to be a box of pills. He removes a tray from the box, popping out a single pill and holding it between his fingers. No matter how hard I squint, I can't quite make out any words on that box. 

"Do you have any water?" Kohi tilts his head, almost pouting. 

I shake my head, "No, I don't. Say the word salivate."

He blushes, "W-what? Why?"

"Trust me," I grin, "Put the pill in your mouth, say salivate and then try to swallow."

"Why would I do that?" He frowns.

"Well," I say, "It's a reflex. When you say, think of or hear the word salivate, your salivary glands apparently release more saliva into your mouth. So it's more easy to swallow a pill because there's more sal-"

"S-stop saying stuff about saliva," Kohi sighs, placing the pill in his mouth, "Salivate."

He swallows like he's eating a whole mango, patting his chest, "Huh, that worked."

"You see?" I wink, "What even was that stuff? Hallucinogens?" 

Kohi laughs, "N-no. It's my osteoporosis medication. I take it once a week." 

"Oh, wow," I stare at the floor, "You said something about brittle bones, but you didn't tell me it was like...full-blown osteoporosis."

He shrugs, "Oh well. Sometimes I use a crutch or a wheelchair, I don't really need that right now, thankfully."

"Although," he continues, "F-for the class trials. I really wouldn't mind a chair. It's a lot of standing and it hurts my legs a lot, I feel like I'm gonna pass out. And the added anxiety too, it's too much."

"Don't think Monokuma's gonna be too kind about that," I shrug.

"Maybe he cares about disabled children?" He cocks his head, before lowering it in disappointment, "Oh wait, I'm not a child."

"You're funny," I laugh. 

Kohi pulls his satchel towards his hip, placing the pills back inside. He buckled the bag shut, before placing it back down on the dresser beside him. 

"I hope the side effects aren't too drastic," He sighs, "It can sometimes make the pain worse and I fall over."

"Sounds nasty," I inhale through my teeth, the mere thought of the pain making me cringe, "And kinda counterproductive too."

"It's very rare," He looks at the floor wistfully, as if it's whispering to him, "We'll just have to hope it doesn't happen here."

* * *

_22:30_

If it weren't for my handbook, I'd have no idea how late it is. Whether the sun had just crept up over the horizon or if it had just sunk down into the depths of space. Of course, the sun doesn't move, the earth rotates. Round and round, as the hours and days tick by. And for what purpose?

_Christ, this motive turned me into some sort of philosopher._

I glance at Kohi, who's hunched over a piece of paper, the provided ballpoint pen tight in his grip. He seems to be scrawling something, though the strokes of the pen are so focused and intricate - as if he's drawing something.

"Mind if I take a look?" I ask, trying to peer beneath his chest to catch a glimpse of his creation.

Kohi seems sheepish, pulling the paper to his chest at first. But after a few encouraging glances from me, he thrusts the paper in my face, blushing.

It takes me a moment to make out a shape in the sketchy lines, but once my eyes focus, I can see a house. A little cottage shrouded in trees and little bushes scattered with roses. A lake flows in front, little animals dotted around as they drink from the water. A very pretty picture, almost comforting, and clearly crafted by someone with past art skills.

"That's pretty good, Kohi," I smile, "Is that your house?"

He flushes again, "I-I wish. It's my dream home. I want to live in a cottage in Northumberland, preferably with a girlfriend or wife. And I'll work at home selling tea, and she can do whatever she wants. Maybe she'll quit her escorting job, but of course that's up to he-"

"You're talking about Ayana, aren't you?" I laugh, "She's in your dream home?" 

Bright red spreads across Kohi's cheeks, and I swear I feel the heat radiating from his blushed skin, "N-no, I just-"

"Don't even try to lie," I say with a smirk, "You mentioned escorting. You're telling me you just happened to think of another woman you like more than Ayana who's also an escort?" 

"I-I'm sorry," He looks at the floor, the shame weighing his head down, "Yeah, I imagine I'd want to live with her. She'd look so pretty in a dress." 

"What do you even like about her?" I raise an eyebrow, "And what does she like about you? You two have nothing in common at all, it's weird you get on so well."

Putting his drawing away, he shuffles closer to me, his eyes locked onto mine. 

"Ayana's like the mother I never had," He says, "W-well, the mother I wish I had. She's a mom herself, of course. She's just so nurturing and kind, and she listens to every word I say. I know it seems wrong I'd like such a motherly figure in that way, but it's like...she's filled that hole that's been there since I was born." 

I feel my heart start to race as he keeps speaking, but it feels like the world is moving in slow motion. Like hours are passing with every word he says. The first motherly connection he's ever felt - his whole life he's gone by without feeling the warmth of his mother's touch. 

I rub at my shoulders, a lump forming in my throat. Every show of affection my own mother had showered me in I'd rejected - embarrassed to love my own parents. I feel cold, dirty, only craving her presence, the coziness of her arms wrapping around me. Something that Kohi would give anything for I'd just thrown away like a tissue. 

"A-and with Ayana," Kohi's voice snaps me out of my daze, "She told me she cares about me too. Apparently, I'm different than any man she's interacted with. She says I'm gentle and loving. Which is nice."

I can't help but notice his eyes twinkle, scratching the back of his neck. The joy in his face is clear and adorable as anything.

"So, why don't you go for it?" I say.

"H-huh?" He widens his eyes, "What do you mean?" 

"Ask her out," I feel a grin form, "You said she likes you too, so go for it."

He shakes his head, his dirty blonde locks falling into his eyes, "N-no. She only likes me as a friend, definitely. I mean, she sees me as her child, right? It'd be wrong. I-It'd be...wrong."

That last sentence seems to trail off, like he never intended to say it. Like he never wanted to say it.

* * *

_12:_ _58 AM_

Another yawn. Those are the only sounds that pass through the room. Just Kohi and me yawning like it's some sort of chorus. It's as if we're communicating just through yawning. Though they say yawning is infectious, perhaps it's just one continuous yawn bouncing off each other.

Kohi's face is sunken and ghostly pale. Purple rings have settled under his eyes, and he almost looks like he's passed on. I'm tempted to check his pulse, but the short, shallow breaths that escape his lips are enough to tell me he's alive. 

"You doing okay there?" I peer around his shoulder.

He nods, "Mhm, just pretty tired. Fatigue I'm guessing."

"Get some sleep, maybe?" I raise an eyebrow, "You're a B, right? You shouldn't have to worry about the alarm."

Almost on queue, the alarm blares through the speakers, sending my heartbeat wild. I practically leap to my feet, preparing to head to the door.

"Maybe I should," Kohi sighs, sluggishly rising from the floor and settling back down on the bed, "I-It was fun talking to you, Kihona."

"You too," I grin as I grasp the door handle, preparing to open it.

"Oh, and by the way..." Kohi's voice calls again as I'm about to leave. I spin around and meet his eyes. An intense glare straight through my skull, and I feel my heart freeze suddenly. Such a small, innocent boy giving such a stare seems so alien, but it lies right in front of me.

"Don't ever tell Ayana what I said."


	30. Chapter Three - 5: An Unexpected Change

_1:05 AM_

I nod, scurrying out of the room. Lord knows why I'm suddenly so terrified of a man who probably can't reach the top shelf, yet that stare was so intense, so deep and penetrating. A hawk's gaze, transfixed on my eyes and ready to pounce. Once the door is closed, I hear the magnets click again. I'm prepared to slump down onto the bed beside me and instantly pass out, but the presence in front of me startles me. 

Daiki.

He sits on the floor by the foot of the bed, his knees pulled into his chest. With a distinguished grin, he looks at me. That grin matches so well with Kaso's ugly smirk. Smiling twins. 

He winks, "Hey there. Been looking forward to someone normal in here."

Nodding, I swallow the lump in my throat, "Yeah, sure."

A brief silence falls over the two of us. Daiki had never particularly been a boy I'd paid attention to during my time here, nor have I interacted with him. Perhaps the only time I've even spared a thought for him was at breakfast. Those shaky hands, sunken eyes, a quivering lip. Tea droplets flying across the table, splashing onto Kaso's fingers. I'd never seen any human so frail, so delicate - not even Aki or Kohi. _And to think he does sports._

He stares at the ground, releasing a disappointed sigh. He chews on a hangnail, tapping his sneakers against the wood floor.

"Y-you okay?" I raise an eyebrow. 

Snapping out of his trance, he glares wide-eyed at me, "Huh, what? Oh, nothing. Just thinking."

"What're you thinking about?" I say, taking a seat next to him. He noticeably grimaces, as if he's disgusted by the thought of my presence, so I shuffle slightly away from him.

"Well," He shrugs, "Nothin' much. Just thinking about the last trial. Y'know, where Tory..."

He places his hands over his throat, mimicking choking, "Yeah. That thing. You remember my whole testimony with Amai, right?"

"Yeah," I nod.

"To tell you the truth," Daiki scratches the back of his neck, "Kaso got pretty mad I was with someone else. No, not even mad. He seemed actually upset, he didn't talk to me for a whole day."

"Seriously?" I exclaim, "That's pretty insecure on his part."

"No," He shakes his head firmly, "He's right. Amai is a shitbag. I was just her accessory, a gay best friend. That's all I mean to anyone..." 

"I don't think of you like that," I smile, wanting to put a hand on his shoulder, though fearful of his reaction.

"Are you my friend?" His brow furrows as his voice raises.

I'm silent, the words ripped from my throat. All I can do is sit and stare. Stare at his dirty skin, his red colour contacts and wiry grey hair.

"That's what I thought," He grunts, snatching a used cigarette from his pocket. He places it in his mouth, chewing vigorously.

I gag, "What the hell are you doing?" 

Daiki frowns, "What do you mean? It's called a nicotine addiction. I can't have a smoke in this hellhole, I gotta make do."

I want to laugh, but exhaustion crashes into me like a tidal wave. All I can think of is Kaso. Such a staggeringly gorgeous man tainted by a devious little smirk. Anger and pride - perhaps all he ever feels. And yet he's upset with Daiki's absence. 

_Does he value Daiki?_

_Can that man even have friends?_

"You look a little tired, there," He looks at me, still chewing on the cigarette. God knows how old that thing is, "You wanna catch some sleep? You can have the bed."

"Are you sure?" I say as I rub my sleepy eyes, "The floor doesn't look very comfortable."

"I don't sleep," He chuckles, "I prowl deep into the night, if ya catch my drift." 

"O-okay," I nod, "Ugh, now I have to sleep in my clothes. I'm in for a great night."

"Don't feel so awkward about undressing in front of me," Daiki says, "I'm gay, I'm not gonna grab your boobs or anything."

I blush, "O-okay, if you say so."

_Didn't think he'd be so forward about that after trying to hide it._

Sheepishly, I scuttle into the bathroom, slamming the door and throwing off my clothes as quickly as possible. Something feels so desperately wrong with being in my underwear like this, yet I feel inside that I trust him. It's strange - he'd seemed so keen to hide any attraction to men inside of him, and now he's suddenly so open to tell me. Perhaps he's given up on his heteronormativity. 

I bundle my clothes up into a pile and creep out of the bathroom, hoping to god Daiki isn't looking in my direction. Thankfully, he seems fixated on the wall. Just staring. Endlessly staring. Staring long and hard. Shrugging, I lift the covers of the bed, tiredness flooring through my veins as I snuggle down under the duvet. Instantly, I feel the sharpness of a spring prickling at my back, ready to poke through the mattress and into my skin at any moment. I wince but try to get comfortable, the bed squeaking with my every move.

_Maybe the floor would be better -_ the only thought that clouds my mind as I drift off to sleep.

* * *

_5:01 AM_

Light. It hits me in a flash, flooding my eyes as I try to shield myself from the wave of illumination. I feel a firm, shaky grip on my right arm as I'm suddenly pulled from my state of slumber. 

_So I did manage to nod off on this artillery of springs._

I roll over, preparing to slide out of bed and splash some water on my face. To cleanse myself of the oils I've garnered around my nose over the past hours. But Daiki's wiry figure sits beside me, knelt on the ground with his quivering hands clamped tightly on my arm. He stares at me dead on, tears running down his face. 

"It's time to get up," He says, his once upbeat tone sucked dry from him, "It's almost time to go, I think. You should get up."

"Huh?" I murmur, brushing the crust from my eyes, "Daiki, are you oka-"

"It's fine," He snaps, voice wavering. He pulls his hands to his chest, and all I see is red. His bleeding knuckles.

"Oh my god," I say, shooting up from the bed, scrambling for his hands, "What happened? Are you okay?"

"It's fine!" He yells, throwing my hands from his, "Don't question it, okay? It's time for you to go anyway."

"The alarm hasn't gone," I sigh, "Please, tell me what's wrong. Why are you bleeding?"

"None of your damn business!" Tears well in his eyes, spilling down his cheeks, "Just turn away! Look at the fucking door and don't speak to me again!" 

"Jesus!" I inhale through my teeth, turning to the door.

As the alarm finally goes off, it can barely muffle the sound of the bathroom door slamming behind me, leaving me alone in the room. I bite my lip with anticipation, frustration still fresh on my tongue. Yet I feel my heart sink as Daiki's figure whisks away and out of sight. 

_What the hell is wrong with him?_

I shrug, and throw the marked door open, relieved to finally have had some rest. Though it doesn't feel like enough. All I can think about is sinking into a warm bundle of duvets and pillows, snuggling down and hibernating until The Game has been played.

"Hey there, Dr Hideyoshi."

Instantly, I recognise that monotone voice. The full, emotionless tone of Mitsuharu Tadaka.

He sits on the bed cross-legged, fiddling with his rose ring so much I fear his skin will rip. Half of his lip slants upwards into what seems like an unfazed smirk. So close to a smile, yet so far.

"Be quiet," I grin, "I've not got my licence yet."

"You'd best be careful then," He seems to catch onto my sarcasm, "Don't give me any life advice 'cause I can technically sue you."

I raise an eyebrow, "Does it work like that?"

"Whatever," He rolls his eyes playfully, patting down on the bed space beside him, "Come sit, it's been a wild ride."

Shoving the thought of sleeping out of my mind, I sit beside him as he shuffles further away to make room. My heart races with elation at the thought of spending time with someone I'm close with. _Now all I need is Haruka._

"It's a relief to see you," Mitsuharu sighs, "I've had some characters to say the least.

"Like who-"

I clamp my hand over my mouth, giggling slightly, "Oh yeah, censorship." 

"I'll be blunt," He says, "I've had a fair few arguments. Surprised I'm not dead."

Laughing, I twist my body to face him, "I'm glad to see you too."

* * *

_8:32 AM_

As the conversation slowly dies down, I feel my own energy fizzle away, as if it's a set of fairy lights breaking. I want to scream just to shatter the silence, and yet no words feel natural enough. Nothing feels just perfect to reignite the chatter. Why do I feel such a strong urge to save this conversation? Why is it my responsibility? Why do I care?  
And yet I do care. I feel as if it's my duty to keep talking to Mitsuharu. To hear his soft voice tickle the hairs on my skin, to see the tiny little hair flicks and fiddling.

Clearing my throat as if I'm about to speak, a gleam catches me off guard. Several twinkles from the shadow of under the bed. I glance at Mitsuharu, who's fixated on his lap as he toys with the numerous rings on his fingers. 

This feels so rude, but I have to investigate. 

I slip off of the mattress and crouch on the ground, sliding underneath the bed.

My heart drops when I see the pile of pocket knives in front of me.

I cry out in alarm, smacking myself against the far wall as I flinch. They sit there, proud and glinting in the light like some sort of metal statue.

"Mitsuharu, what the hell?" I yell, and he turns to me with a look no different than his usual frown.

"What's up?" He shrugs.

I narrow my eyes, "Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about! What the hell are you doing with all those pocket knives?"

Mitsuharu seems puzzled for a second, squinting as he tilts his head, until his eyes widen, "Oh, yeah. Those things."

"Did Monokuma give you extra?" I brush off my shirt, regaining my strength as I get back on my feet.

He shakes his head, "No. They belong to the other students."

I frown at him again, and he throws his hands up in the air, shrugging, "Hey, don't blow this outa proportion. There's only three. Mine and two people who wanted to give them up."

"So you asked them for them?" I say, tapping my pockets. My own knife is still secure in there. Sitting there. Anticipating. 

"Yeah," He nods, standing up from the bed, growing closer and closer to me. My heart thumps in my chest as my body slowly heats up with every step he takes. Something drives me wild when he's this close, like he's a magnet. 

"Surprisingly enough, Kihona," He sighs, eyes emerald with fire, "My best interest is keeping people safe. Do you know how much harm someone can do with a knife like this? I...know my knives." 

I chuckle, unsure whether I'm genuinely amused or if I'm just nervous, "I-I see."

"Sorry," He mumbles, "I-I got a bit carried away. I hope you can forgive me." His cheeks are flushed, dusted with a light pink colour, so warm against his almost grey skin. 

"No worries," I smile, taking the knife from my pocket. I hold it in my palm, thrusting it towards him, "H-hey, take this. If it helps you feel like people are safe."

Mitsuharu seems almost bewildered, not taking his confused eyes off me as he takes the knife from my hands. He tosses it onto the pile on the floor, kicking them under the bed as he falls back down onto the sheets.

"I don't know what gets into me, y'know?" He sighs, banging his head against the wall softly, "I know I look edgy but, damn." 

I shuffle up next to him, wondering if he'll move away to create that same space. But he remains put, the fabric of his jeans grazing up against my leg. I shiver at his warmth, my whole body tense with nerves.

_Why am I acting like this?_

"Dr Hideyoshi," Mitsuharu grins, "Can you help?"

"I thought you'd sue me," I smirk, feeling my hand grow closer to his thigh. _Stop it._

He winks at me, "Promise. Do your thing with me." 

I look around, following the direction of my hand. Sheepishly, I look into his pocket, pulling out a lighter. 

"You have one of these-"

"I don't smoke," He says rather urgently, "Not anymore. Vaping is fun"

I roll my eyes with a smile, "Well. You seem to have used it a lot anyway. Why is that?"

He shrugs, "Dunno, I just like flicking it on and off."

I grasp the lighter in my palms, admiring its dark grey colour, "So you don't really have any use for it?" Tapping my chin in thought, I continue, "Well, maybe you like looking at flames? Even though it's quite small, it pleases you to look at."

He nods, "Sounds psychotic but okay." 

"So," I place the lighter in his lap, "You're impressed by the small things in life. You enjoy the comfort of yourself and the objects around you."

He chuckles, his lips stretching into a smile. A smile that I've been waiting to see since the moment we arrived. His face seems so lively suddenly, colour radiating from his cheeks.

"You were bullshitting the entire time," He smirks, "Sure, you're right. But that's just all circumstantial."

I blush profusely, balling my hands into fists as I try to hide my face. _Well, he's right._

"So now I'm gonna analyse you," He says, placing a finger on my chin. I want to scream at my heart to stop racing in my chest before it explodes, to stop it from beating so hard it flies through my flesh and onto the wall in front of me.

"You're too determined to impress me," He says flatly, "And for what? I'm already impressed by you. You're smart and intuitive, and you seem to care about the others. So why go out of your way to do more than that?" 

_Oh my god._

"Y-you mean that?" I swallow the lump in my throat.

"Do I look like a liar to you?" He raises an eyebrow, smile fading slightly.

The alarm. Perhaps the worst sound I could hear at this moment.

"Well, looks like you've got to move on." Mitsuharu sighs.

I feel a void in my chest open up as my face sinks, "Y-yeah. See you later, I guess."

As I rise from the bed, only one thought looms in my mind.

_I think I like Mitsuharu._

I don't even want to look back to him, as if I'm embarrassed somehow. Ashamed. Ashamed to be in his radius. With my head hung low, I slowly open the door.

Red. A crimson puddle edging towards my shoe. A sea of scarlet. Horror fills my lungs, and I feel like I'll choke. And then the smell hits me. Like rotten metal swarming the room.

I look up and see it.

Mamo's dead body.


	31. Chapter Three - 6: Death of a Loverman

_Click._

The magnets around me unlock once again, releasing us from the game. But I don't move, just frozen in place, my back against the cold white walls. Just staring. Staring dead on at Mamo's corpse.

A scream burns in my lungs that I'm desperate to release, but my lips are sealed together, quivering at the scene in front of me.

And then the loudspeaker.

The body discovery announcement.

I know that's not right, it has to be impossible. Only I've seen the body, and yet the announcement still plays. But I'm still once again, as if I'm nailed to the floor. Mitsuharu creeps into the room, jumping at the sight of Mamo's body. I feel his eyes on me, but I don't want to look back at him. I just reach for his hand, gripping it tight without taking a single glance at him.

"O-oh my god," Haruka's frail voice can just be heard from the hallway as she emerges through the door, "Is it true?"

With a single look to the floor, she screams, the tears once brimming in her eyes now falling down her cheeks. 

The voices of the other students filter in and out of my brain, as they slowly begin to file in, all equally as shocked at the sight of the body. But they don't matter, nothing else matters.

"What on earth is going on in here?"

A smooth, silky voice. A heavy floral scent.

The group gathered around Mamo parts to reveal Shiro's shining presence. He seems fresh and lively, as if he's just woken up.

"Have I missed something?" He cocks his head, playing with a tendril of his hair.

"Shiro..." Daiki says, his words breathless. 

Face sinking, Haruka slowly shuffles to reveal Mamo's body. His cold, bloodied corpse laid dead on his front.

A blur. The edges of my vision are fuzzy, tunnelling my attention onto Shiro's bewildered expression. He seems clueless at first, as if it's all some stupid prank. And then the panic sets into his face. 

"M-mamoru?" He utters, holding onto the doorframe to keep him upright. The warmth drains from his skin, leaving him a sickly grey.

"Mamoru!"

Shoving through the crowd, he continues to cry out his name. Over and over, only growing more desperate as he dashes to the body.

"Not so fast," Mitsuharu thrusts his arm out, "Don't touch him, you're tampering with evidence."

Shiro tries to pry himself from the taller boy's grip, hands shaking, "You fool! Get out of my way!"

"Listen to me," Mitsuharu says firmly, struggling against Shiro's force, "Stop being so careless, someone just die-"

"I won't let you stop me!" Shiro screams, swatting Mitsuharu across the face. Once free, he tries to scarper to Mamo's body, his eyes longing and filled with tears. All I hear is the ringing of white noise, and repetitive cries echoing through the room.

_Crack._

Shiro lands at my feet, and I snap out of my daze. He winces as he hits the floor, holding onto his shoulder as he wriggles before me.

Kaso stands proud above him, looming over his meek frame as he tries to steady himself. 

"You fiend!" Shiro cries, "I think you broke something."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Haruka grits her teeth, turning to Kaso, "The person he loved the most just died and you break his shoulder?" 

Shrugging, Kaso smirks, "Thought you guys were all about order in this investigation crap. Gotta do it somehow."

"That really wasn't your intention though, was it?" Ayana raises an eyebrow. When his eyes meet hers she freezes, turning away as if he's about to shoot her.

"W-why are we being like this?" Kuroko whimpers, "S-someone just died! You're all so heartless!"

"Where the hell even is everyone?" Daiki glances around the room, "Aki and Amai aren't here, right? They sleepin'?"

Daiki's right - Aki and Amai are nowhere to be seen. Their small figures would be easy to lose in such a big crowd, yet Aki's croaky little voice isn't audible. Amai's bundles of pink hair aren't just peeking above everyone's heads.

My heart starts to race. _Are they dead too?_

"Can we just address Shiro's shoulder for a sec?" Haruka sighs, lifting him up to his feet, "That looks pretty nasty, we should get that mended," she whirls, turning to Kaso, "and you," Her nose wrinkles, lips puckering like she's eaten a lemon, "You're a goddamn idiot. No one here likes you, you're mean and you hurt people for no reason!"

She stomps out of the room, a moaning Shiro's wrist firm in her grip as she tugs him away. He protests, trying to squirm back to the room. Desperate to see Mamo.

"That's not gonna help his shoulder," Daiki winces.

"M-maybe we should clear the room," Kohi hugs his chest, "It's really crowded in here, and I-I can't see over everyone's heads."

Mitsuharu nods, "Yes, we need to commence the investigation. Mamo is dead, and someone in here killed him."

I notice a gleam in Kaso's eyes - a tiny little twinkle in the blue. His grin only widens, as his arms slowly fold over one another.

The sick bastard is enjoying this...

* * *

After only a few minutes, the group seems to have dispersed all across the game floor. I still feel my body shake as I crouch down inches away from the pool of blood Mamo lies in.

Mitsuharu is close by, pulling out his arm and pressing his fingers against his wrists. 

"No pulse," He sighs, a hint of resignation in his voice, "He's really dead."

"Did we need to fact check that though?" I tilt my head, "The announcement went off."

"Ah, along those lines," Mitsuharu says, slouching against the wall, "Don't you think it's weird the announcement went off when only you had discovered the body? It says in the handbook it has to be three people, right?" 

I nod, "I thought about that. I-I didn't say anything, I was in shock. Sorry."

"You don't have to apologise," He smiles, patting my head as he walks by me. My heart instantly flutters and despite the condescending nature of his gesture, I feel so warm all over.

I look to where he's walking, only to notice what seems to be a metal tube running under Mamo's body and to the door. The door leading to the next Game Room.

"Hey, what do you think this is?" I say to Mitsuharu, pointing to the tube. He crouches down beside it, running his finger along it until he reaches some strange plastic end.

A shower head.

"The killer pulled the shower cord through here? But for what?" I cock my head.

He seems prepared to answer but, before he can even open his lips, the door slowly creaks open. The two of us watch, anticipation high in the air as Aki's tiny little head pokes around the door, a sniffling Kuroko following.

Aki is silent, eyes blank like slate. No tears, no runny noses, barely even a whimper. Just a clean stare straight at Mamo's body. Empty and hollow like an abandoned snail shell.

_Where even are her snails?_

Kuroko instantly bursts into tears, bundling Aki up into her arms as she collapses onto the bed, "W-why? This wasn't supposed to happen. W-we're supposed to all be friends."

"I know," Mitsuharu nods, releasing a defeated sigh, "But clearly Monokuma is ruthless."

As their words slip away, I notice the bathroom door is slightly ajar, a piece of paper discarded by the base of the door. Just a lined, folded piece of paper, though it seems as if it's been written on. I raise an eyebrow, approaching it with unnecessary caution, gently lifting the paper and unfolding it.

Blood. Smeared across the paper. Like a deep red ink pen exploding across it. I immediately recoil, almost preparing to throw it to the ground.

"What's up?" Mitsuharu glares at me, raising a concerned eyebrow. I thrust the paper into his face, hands trembling as I do.

"Ah," He nods, gulping, "Yeah, there's blood. But have you not read it?"

I'm entirely confused, until I take the paper back and scan it. There is writing - messy and loose as if it was written in a hurry. Or written by a child. 

_Aki. Does she write like that?_

She sits bouncing on Kuroko's lap, giggling as she reaches for her glasses. Tears stain Kuroko's face, though she's smiling as bright as ever. A worried, troubled smile, though beaming as much as she can. 

Perhaps for Aki.

I re-read the paper.

_'Out of order. Do not use. Entering this bathroom will result in immediate punishment.'_

Raising an eyebrow, I turn to Mitsuharu, "Seems a bit strange. Why would the bathroom just break?"

He seems to resonate with my confusion, eyeing the door still slightly ajar from the shower cord. We glance at each other, green eyes meeting, locking onto each other

"Do we go in?"

The words come out in unison, almost perfectly timed with each other as if it's a harmony of voices. 

"Yeah," Mitsuharu nods, coughing as he turns away from me, his face flushing pink.

_That's so damn cute._

_For god's sake, look away. Someone just died_

I shake my head, grabbing the handle of the door. 

Something feels wrong, as if there's a force surrounding the iron handle, warding me away. Heart racing, I don't even want to look at it, the handle firm in my grip. And yet I don't move.

"Kihona."

Aki's solemn voice snaps me out of my trance, leaving me bewildered as I stare at the floor. I turn to her, still secure on Kuroko's lap as she flashes me a sunken gaze, "You looked like you'd been turned into a doll. I don't want you to be a doll." 

Kuroko's still trembling, her arms right around Aki's waist. Her face is pale, dejected, ripped of all its colour. Perhaps the first time I've seen her genuinely afraid. And I don't entirely blame her

Gulping, I finally slam down on the handle, yanking the door open as fast as I can.

And there it is. Gleaming in front of me like a morbid trophy.

Amai's mangled body.

Her head is face-first in the toilet, her hair dangling loosely from her cold, lifeless head. Blood is splattered across her shirt, staining the delicate purple with a deep crimson.

"Oh my god!" I scream, stumbling over my feet as I crash to the floor. Mitsuharu clenches his fists, dashing over to her body, wedging her out of the toilet bowl. And all I can do is lay backed up against the wall. Staring. 

_Two people are dead._

Kuroko peers around the door, the sheer sight of Amai's body causing her to drop Aki to the floor.

"A-Amai!" Kuroko yelps, shoving past me. She clambers into the bathroom, grabbing Amai as she slumps into her lap.

"Another one," Mitsuharu says, breathless with shock, "Jesus Christ."

Silence, apart from Kuroko's whimpering as she clutches Amai's frozen hands.

How could there possibly be more than one killer?

Or is this the work of a serial offender?

The questions swim around in my brain, my vision blurring leaving only a purple blob of Kuroko's dress in my vision. Ringing in my ears, I feel my head on the ground.

And then black


	32. Chapter Three - 7: Sweet Homicde

"Kihona?" 

I feel it again - darkness surrounding me, engulfing me. Wrapping me in a tight blanket. Such a familiar feeling, though cold and discomforting. Almost damp. 

"Kihona?"

Yet this time the voice is soft and concerned. Clearly a male voice, looming over me with their gentle presence. 

"Hey, wake up."

Another voice, this time lower and more hoarse, yet still so soothing. And I can't even begin to put faces to the names. 

"Up, you."

Before I can even process the voice, something whacks at my hip hard, pain spreading through my body like electricity. My eyes open, the light flooding in, and I see it all.

I remember it all.

"Amai!" I yelp, jolting upright. I don't even focus on the three heads surrounding me, just ahead. Where Amai's dead body had once been.

And yet the bathroom is empty, left with only a trace of bloodstains where she once was.   
Three faces hang above me, belonging to Ayana, Kohi and, irritatingly enough, Kaso. The mere sight of that man's chiselled, smug face makes me want to fall back into the darkness. 

"You passed out, Kihona," Ayana says, holding out her hand to me. I grab it with hesitance, the points on her pristine black acrylics tickling my palm. 

When I know I'm on my feet, I brush off my clothes, though I know there's no dust. Yet I feel dirty all the same. Wrong. As if I shouldn't be here.

"You look like shit," Kaso smirks, placing a hand on my shoulder so firm, I feel like I'll crumble under his weight. Biting my lip, I feel a fire raging in my throat and all I want to do is scream _'you stupid dick'_ right in his face. 

I rub my head as it throbs, trying to keep myself upright, "Mi-Mitsuharu."

"H-he's gone off somewhere," Kohi flushes, racing towards me, "You sit down, Kihona."

He settles me onto the bed behind me, and I almost collapse into it. The world around me spins like a never ending carousel. Up and down, around and around, swimming in a whirlpool of fuzzy colours and white noise. Nausea fills my stomach. 

"Why are you in here, Kaso?" Ayana mutters, placing her cold hand against my head, examining my whole face.

Kaso raises an eyebrow, straightening his posture from his usual slouch against the wall. Those thin, smooth lips spread into a devious grin, his fiery blue eyes burning in my chest, "Huh? Oh, I'm just chillin'. And checkin' out your ass."

"H-hey, stop that!" Kohi protests, waving his arms frantically at Kaso. What he may be trying to achieve is beyond me, "Ayana isn't an object, she's a human being! And a lovely one at that."

Kaso wheezes, clutching his stomach as he hurls with laughter. His roars of hilarity fill the room, the splitting pain in my skull only worsening. 

"Wow, you really want her in bed, man!" He yells, "Nice goin', but you know she only falls for men with mega dicks and enough game to plant a baby in her."

Ayana frowns, her voice quiet and feeble, "Cut it out, Kaso."

"You can get it if you really try," He continues to sneer, grabbing Kohi by the scruff of his shirt, "But you won't get much outta it. I destroyed her years ago, so good luck gettin' anything outta that."

I want to speak, to stand up and rip his sour ass face right off, yet the room spinning around me keeps me trapped on the bed, only able to muster a small groan before collapsing back into the pillow.

"I'm not just chillin', actually," Kaso grins, "I'm here for one reason and one reason only."

"Go on," Ayana says, stepping further towards the door. As if she knows he'll lash out.

"Well," He saunters over to my bed, and even through the blur of my vision, my heart still pumps when, "I think I got a lead on who the killer is. In fact, I know."

Those very last words send shocks through my heart, and I practically snap upright. My head whines from the impact, yet my vision clears, and I've never felt so much energy coursing through me. Ayana and Kohi seem just as shocked, their eyes wide with anticipation. 

_Kaso knows who the killer is?_

"W-wait," Kohi beams, eyes wide and sparkling, "So you can just tell us who the killer is? Right now? And all of this will be over?"

"Sure I can, kid," Kaso winks, slogging him on the shoulder. Kohi cries out in pain, almost collapsing onto Ayana.

As my head throbs, I watch Kaso smirk, leaning against the wall.

"The killer is..." He grins, narrowing those sharp eyes, gleaming in the shadows cast over them. He waits, folding his arms as the silence drags. On and on, thickening like mist, as if he's enjoying the sick thrills from our suffering.

He seems to have had his fun with us when he finally opens his mouth again.

"It's you, Kihona."

His words strike me, their sharp blades slashing through my skin, leaving any ounce of life in my heart bleeding on the floor. My stomach fills with bubbles. I feel like I'll throw up. I'm going to throw up.

Every inch of my body shakes with anticipation as I glance at the three faces surrounding me. Ayana seems almost disappointed, looking down on me with her sorry brown eyes. And Kohi looks ghostly pale - even more so than usual - edging closer to Ayana with every second that passes. 

And of course, Kaso's smug face is still as prominent as ever. The same smug face I want to tear off his head and burn alive. My body fills with rage the moment I see him, almost enough to burn away at the rapid butterflies tingling throughout me. 

"No," Is all I can say, my throat so swollen I can barely breathe.

"That it?" Kaso raises an eyebrow, his lips stretching into an even wider grin, "You not got any rebuttal?

"How do you know it's her, first of all?" Ayana folds her arms, "This seems to have come out of nowhere."

"If I may explain," Kaso says, as if he's mocking my softer voice, "Well, Amai 'n Mamo are both dead, right? If Mamo saw Amai's body, then the body discovery would'a gone off when he found it. But it didn't. So when Mamo was movin' in, Kihona must'a gone in there and stabbed him before the announcement could go off!"

"There's so much evidence that disproves that!" I yell, balling my hands into fists.

He raises an eyebrow at me, pulling me in by my tie. His hot breath tickles every hair on my cheek and I wince at the mere sensation.

"Then give me it."

I know I can disprove him. I have all the evidence I need - Mitsuharu can easily back me up. He has my knife, there's no way. And yet it won't come out of my mouth, trapped like it's in an iron cage.

"That's what I thought, huh," He lets me down, shoving me against the wall. I feel my back crack as I make contact with the hard painted brick. 

The silence remains unbroken until the door creaks open, revealing Daiki's slender figure. His eyes are dark, so sunken into their sockets they're almost little beads. That once tan skin is now a sickly grey, stained red from where the tears once were. And yet my eyes can only travel down to his knuckles - merely hours before running with fresh blood.

Kaso's gaze instantly snaps to the door, almost spinning on his heels as he turns to Daiki.

Their eyes meet, smoothly locking onto each other.

"Hey," Kaso says, releasing the tension from his fists, "You okay?"

Daiki nods, "Yeah, it's good."

"You didn't-"

"It's okay now," Daiki sighs, nodding gently, "Don't worry, I got it sorted."

Kaso nods, gulping, "Yeah man, whatever."

I notice Daiki's face sadden as he recoils towards the wall.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Ayana frowns, trying to squeeze into the group of people now crowding the tiny room.

Daiki looks up at Ayana, almost astounded by her height, "Huh, what? Oh, I'm delivering a message to Kihona? God that sounds so formal. But Mitsuharu's kinda busy with Shiro, so he wants me to show you what he found while you were out."

"Don't trust her," Kaso says with a sense of urgency, "She's the killer."

Daiki widens his eyes, "Yo, you sure?" 

When Kaso nods, I roll my eyes, "P-please just tell me. Mitsuharu trusts me."

"Sure, whatever," Daiki shrugs, flipping his handbook out of his pocket, "Says here, uh. Bloody bedsheets. Piece of paper with blood, notepad and pen looks used. Shower cord."

I nod, though I don't have the energy to jot the notes down myself.

"What would sheets be used for?" Ayana raises an eyebrow, completely puzzled. The lack of a duvet on the bed had completely slipped my mind, "I mean, there's blood in the bathroom and on the walls, why are the bedsheets dirty if they weren't used?"

"They were used to stop the killer getting blood on 'em, you literal dumb fuck," Kaso rolls his eyes. Ayana remains silent.

"We've been through the cord and the note already, right?" I ask, "Well, I mean. We still don't know if the note was from Monokuma."

Suddenly, Daiki's handbook glows with a notification - the ping that notifies a new text message. I feel my body tense for a second, as if it's life or death.

"Hold on," Daiki shuffles, trying to read his handbook, "It's Mitsuharu. He says _'don't forget the animation thing'_ "

He looks up at us, "What the fuck does that mean?"

I'm lost suddenly, as I slide my handbook out of my shirt pocket, flicking through the case file. Chills run through me when I see Mamo and Amai's portraits. Amai had been stabbed and Mamo died of blood loss. Likely stabbed too.

_Seems like Amai died at 2:02, and Mamo at 5:10._

_Looks like Mamo died pretty quickly after he rotated._

When I flick through the tabs, I notice something that seems new. Illuminated in a fluorescent pink is that same tab I had seen during my first four hours.

_'Rotation order'_

Only this time, upon clicking on the tab, I'm met with more than just a blank set of rooms. Numbers dotted evenly throughout the divided square, ranging from 1 to 12. I grip my handbook as I hold my breath.

_Those numbers are us._

  
I tap on the play button, and the numbers begin to move, round and round the perimeter. 

We shift a few times until I see it.

The number 6 slowly approaches the room number 3 is in, illuminating the text in red. A skull appears next to it. The death of 3. The death of Amai

Rotation Time: 1:05

"Yo, that's fucked up," Daiki winces, "I mean, useful, but fucked up.

"So, hold on," Ayana raises an eyebrow, confused, "3 is the killer?"

Kaso wheezes. 

Kohi sighs, rubbing Ayana's shoulder, "N-no. 3 is dead. That's Amai."

"So 6 is the killer?" Ayana nods. 

"Well done Ayana."

I play the video. 

And then it happens again.

As 1 slowly approaches the room 3 is dead in, the text turns red. Blood red. 

"That's Kihona killin' Mamo," Kaso smirks, and Kohi swats him with his skinny arm.

_I have the proof I didn't do this. Everything will be fine._

"That's weird though," Daiki puckers his lips, "Mamo walked into the room with Amai's dead body and just fucking dropped dead?"

I clench my throat, blinking rather rapidly. Only one thought dawns on my mind, the tiniest inkling of an idea, yet it spreads through my consciousness like wildfire.

_Did Mamo kill himself?_

_No, I can't jump to conclusions like that._

The thought fresh in my mind, I try to focus on my surroundings, only to be greeted by Aki's croak and Kuroko's little chirp just outside the door. 

An almost comforting sound. As if nothing of this killing game ever happened. Like we're all safe. Happy. 

Each of us leaves the room in turn, the announcement for the trial likely any minute now. Being late could be dangerous. Lethal.

Aki's gawking grey eye immediately spots us, yet she doesn't say a thing. She's pale, dejected, like there's a black and white filter over her. Her head rests on Kuroko's shoulder, her legs held tight in the tall woman's grasp. Like a sleeping baby, Kuroko gently rocks her, stroking her hair. 

"H-hey guys," Kuroko smiles sadly, pushing her glasses up her nose.

"Hey there, Kuro," Kaso says, "Given up investigatin' the murder, have we? Don't wanna find the killer, do we?"

Kuroko's eyes waver, as she grips tighter on Aki, "N-no, I-" 

"Man, you're a lil bitch," Kaso grins, "We could all die, yanno?"

"She's afraid of Santa," Aki mumbles, snuggling under Kuroko's neck. 

I raise an eyebrow, "Why does that-"

"She means I'm claustrophobic," Kuroko sighs. Her voice is strange, almost calmer and quieter, like she matured 5 years., "I didn't like being in the rooms, so I came out here."

As if on cue, the loudspeaker flicks on, Monokuma's voice coming annoyingly into earshot.

"Eyo, sup fellas! The investigation period is now over, so get yer arses down to the bus stop!"

I gulp. _This is it. Again._

Two of our friends are dead. In one room. Within hours of each other.

And someone in here killed them.

There's only one question that dawns on my mind as we all force our way through the game room doors. Only one sentence. One phrase.

_Does Kaso actually think it's me?_


	33. Chapter Three - 8: A Trial for Two

Kaso's head is the only thing I can pay attention to as we all linger on the sidewalk. 17 became 15, then down to 12. And then there were 10, huddled together on the side of a dusky old street, waiting to be escorted to our potential deaths. 

The air is cold and thin and I feel a spot of rain on my head, dreary grey clouds hanging overhead. All I hear are the quiet little whispers of the others. 

Haruka eyes me uneasily, reaching for my hand again, "I-I'm sorry, Kihona."

I don't look at her, eyes fixed on the road, "What for? Did you do anything wrong?"

She shakes her head, her grip on my hand tightening, "N-No. Well, sorta. I just feel like I haven't spoken to you much, is all. You're okay with that, right?"

"You don't need to worry about that," I say, swallowing the huge lump in my throat. 

_Seems a little weird she would bring that up. Is she okay?_

Another quick glance at Kaso, who's likely paying more attention to Daiki than himself. It seems so sudden that he's warm to Daiki now. Or perhaps it was there all along, I just wasn't looking. And now it's all clear that Daiki spoke to me.

_The idea of him latching onto someone is so alien. Has he found a friend?_

I can't think about Daiki. I can't think about their relationship. Kaso thinks I did this, that I killed Amai and Mamo. 

I want to find Mitsuharu, to look into his eyes and be reassured he'll be okay. But he's nowhere. His presence is missing, like a room without a light bulb.

"Where's Shiro?" Kohi's eyes shift around the group, clutching his satchel tight. He's right - Shiro is gone too. Though it doesn't seem surprising given his state.

Kaso scoffs, "Probs dyin' because I broke his shoulder."

"You're a dick, you know that?" Haruka puffs her cheeks, her hands balling into fists, "You really hurt Shiro, he was just trying to see Mamo."

"What, you mean embrace his dead fuckin' body?" Kaso wheezes, "Man, you're fucked up."

"Can we not just drop this?" Ayana sighs, arms folded tightly, "This is ridiculous."

"Yeah, sure," Kaso grins, "Besides, we got bigger problems. Like how Kihona's the killer."

My heart starts to race and I feel those embers of rage creeping up again, "For god's sake, you have no proof!"

"Stop the fighting!" Kuroko wails.

In the midst of all the commotion, two figures shrouded by the light of the building come striding through the game room doors, one delicately holding the other. They approach, their faces coming into clearer view as the light dies down.

Shiro and Mitsuharu.

"Yo," Daiki nods, "You good there, bro?" 

Shiro doesnt answer, staring straight ahead of him. His once glistening eyes are now dead in the water, his golden aura gone. Anything that ever shined about him; gone. Even his overpowering scent is gone, the odour of sandalwood and flowers so distant. There's a sling wrapped around the arm of his crisp white tailcoat, holding his damaged shoulder secure.

"I wouldn't call this 'good'," Mitsuharu sighs, shuffling to the front of the group beside me and Haruka.

He looks to us, weary, "He's acting weirdly. He won't talk, he won't eat. He's not responding to anything I do. I swear, it's like someone took his CPU out or something."

I bite my lip, "I'm not surprised, Mamo was so dear to him."

"But why?" Haruka tilts her head, "He seemed like such an emotional soul. Why would he just suddenly go silent?"

"Love does a lot of things to you," Ayana's smooth voice causes me to flinch in my spot. She glares at us, her arms crossed so tight her chest must be wheezing under the pressure. 

She puckers her painted lips, "When you lose the one you love, it feels like your whole world is collapsing. I doubt you've ever experienced that pain, have you? I don't think Shiro has time to keep up an act."

Haruka sighs - a deep, contemplative sigh, "I feel so awful. They were so close. And Kuroko too, she seemed like she was friends with Amai."

'Friends', yet they so obviously weren't. It seemed more like Amai charging around the school while Kuroko scurried along behind her, completely blind to every sour remark, every cold-blooded insult.

I turn to find Aki, who's still safely cradled in Kuroko's arms. She's perhaps more out of it than I ever thought, like she's high or something. Even with her white face and spindly limbs, she at least seemed to have some life in her. Some sort of joy.

But it seems like we're all drained of what energy we had left. So weighed down by this horrific killing game. Our friends gone, our families thousands of miles away.

I barely even notice the bus wheeze to a halt right by my feet. 

Normally I'd see Aki's pattering little feet but, instead, there's silence as the hiss of the doors opening sounds. Just quiet. Peace, almost. 

Gulping, I step on, the others close by. I don't even take time to acknowledge the driver - the same driver who haunts me every time I take even a quick peek at him. With so many seats free now, I quickly find myself able to sit close to Mitsuharu and Haruka. But they're missing - all of them. They should be here right now. Our deceased friends.

Haruka places her hand on mine, smiling at me, "You're a great friend, Kihona. I'm so glad I met you." 

All I can do is smile weakly back. I want to respond to her more than anything, to reassure her I feel the same. And yet a quick stretch of the lips is all I can matter. 

She seems suddenly down, turning away from me as she slips her hand away.

_Oh god, did I upset her?_

As the bus starts to move, I turn to Mitsuharu, "Was I unconscious for long?" 

He nods, "Yeah, a few hours at least. I don't blame you." 

I scratch the back of my neck, a nervous laugh escaping my lips, "Y-yeah. It's just so shocking, one murder is enough but when you see two within minutes of each other..."

With a smile, he rubs my shoulder and my body instantly heats up. His touch, the light brushing of his fingers is like gold on my skin. 

"I don't blame you, Kihona, like I said. This place is fucked."

"You don't seem entirely sensitive to it," I tilt my head, trying to hide the furious blush across my face.

He chuckles, "I don't exactly have time to be emotional. Normally I would be, but since our own lives are on the line. It's wasting time." 

"Intimidating," I say, "But do you never feel like you're disrespecting them? Or that you're not mourning them?"

"Well, with Minato, I barely knew him at the end of the day," He sighs, "It was sort of fight or flight, just instant investigation mode. And with Tory, I doubt she would have

wanted me to just sit around crying. If that were me in that pool, she'd do the same for me."  
I look back at Haruka, who's now fixated on her lap. Such a sudden switch in her emotions, she can't dare to even take a glance at me and Mitsuharu. Her leg bounces furiously, and I feel the vibrations through the bus - not just from the worrying lack of suspension.

A wheeze, a hiss - the bus jolts to a conclusive stop and I almost topple off my seat. The doors open with a whine. 

The courtyard is still the same through the view of the murky windows, the trickling fountain, ivy draping across the white stone walls. And yet as we all slump off the bus in our synchronised depression, it feels so empty. Like there should be more of us. There has to be more of us.

Only 10, which should be 17.

_'We shouldn't be here anyway',_ those words replay in my brain as all of us move behind the yellow and black tape. The floor opens up as per usual; a sight I don't think I'll ever be adjusted to. Stairs leading down. Leading through the corridor, to the trial room. Again

We head down as a huddle, exchanging our usual nervous glances. Down the stairs, through the corridor. Those grand red doors grow closer, closer, more menacing with each step. 

A blur, my vision is a cloud of smoke. Nothing in my view is clear, apart from the red doors.

They swing open.  
And once again we're greeted with the fishbowl of a trial room. And yet we're the fish, the innocent little creatures trapped in this cage for the mere enjoyment of others.

It's automatic by now - take our positions at our dedicated podiums. New portraits have been erected; one small with Amai's face plastered across it, the red 'X' across her face painted to look like a little bow. And Mamo's is taller, the 'X' almost in a cursive font. One for Yashira too - I had almost completely forgotten about her death, and yet here her picture is. 

Shiro turns grey once he sees the portraits, freezing at his podium. His hands tremble with fear, and I can't honestly blame him.

Before any of us can muster a word, Monokuma leaps out of seemingly nowhere, landing prim and proper on his throne of marble.

"Sup fellas and females!" He giggles, "Glad to see you all, you're lookin' as shite as always."

"Monokuma, this isn't funny anymore!" Haruka cries, staring straight at the bear, "How can you have no empathy?" 

He raises an eyebrow - if it can even be called an eyebrow, "Beg ya pardon? This is just the typical trial? Why are ya actin' like such a negative Nancy?"

"Because two people died, maybe?" Ayana sighs.   
"Yeah, you kids see this shit every day nowadays," Monokuma says, a grin spreading across his muzzle, "What with yer little smartphones and all that crap." 

"Dude's right," Kaso snorts, "You guys are just a bunch'a sissies. Grow up, no one important died." 

"N-no one important?" Kuroko's eyes well with tears, "How could you say that? A-Amai and Mamo were our friends." 

Kaso wheezes, "You jokin'? Amai was a bimbo with bubblegum stuffed down her tits. And Mamo? Jesus fuckin' Christ, he liked pokin' around in dead bodies! You call that a friend?" 

Shiro stares dead at the floor, fists practically shaking with anger. But his lips remain sealed, barely a whimper coming from him.

Mitsuharu takes a deep sigh, before slamming his fists down onto the podium. Everyone flinches in surprise, apart from Kaso who remains firm in his stance. 

"For god's sake, you're all acting like children," Mitsuharu says, a noticeable rasp to his voice, almost like he's growling, "How many people have died now? There's 10 of us left, we started with 17. I suggest you stop clowning about and focus on this. Do you not realise how serious this is? Or did someone hit you too hard over the head as a child?" 

"And now there's the possibility of a second killer," I nod, glancing over to Mitsuharu. He nods, urging me to continue. I gulp, "Or one of you in here struck twice."

"Hey, hey, hey, kids," Monokuma turns to us, his eye flashing a deep crimson, "Keep ya theories for the trial, I haven't even started yet. Y'all know the rules, right?"

As if on cue, the bear rises from his throne, he raises his arms up to the glass ceiling, the rays of sunshine beaming down on him.

**"Let the trial commence!"**

* * *

Air weighing heavy on my shoulders, I try and focus on the group, eyes fixated on the centre of the circle. Everyone's stares flicker around the room, unsure of what to say. Unsure of what to do, or what might be coming. Pure uncertainty.

"Well, it's no debate who killed Mamo," Kaso finally says, the silence shattering upon impact, "We saw it right before our eyes."

_Oh god, not this again._

"Look, Kaso, stop it," I sigh, "Before we go accusing anyone, we need to-"

"Hold up!"

It's Monokuma, his voice once again wedging between our conversation. He creeps off his throne, taking care to not stumble on the way down, shuffling towards the podiums. 

"Ahem," He says, retrieving a scroll from god knows where, unravelling it, "Before we continue, we must establish some ground rules."

_"Rule 1: You may not reveal your identity or who you were with during the game._   
_Rule 2: You may reveal whether you are A or B,_   
_Rule 3: If you wish to make a statement but are unsure if it falls under Principal Monokuma's guidelines, please raise your hand to speak to him during the trial._

_Breaking these rules results in instant punishment for everyone besides the blackened(s)"_

"You serious?" Daiki groans, "We got extra rules for this shit? Why make it harder?"

"Because it's a game, remember?" Ayana says, "Monokuma doesn't exactly wanna make this a spelling bee, he wants us dead."

"Precisely!" Monokuma grins, putting the scroll away and scurrying back to the throne, "Now get on with it, ya sick bastards."

"Not like we need the rules anyway," Kaso says again, turning back to me. He glares at me - his deep, penetrative eyes burning right through my chest. I can't bear to look at him another second, just his icy blue stare. Ready to pounce on me. I'm just a hunk of meat in a lion's trap.

"Kihona was at the scene of the crime," He continues, "Woulda just been easy to stab Mamo and pretend like she'd just found the body, right?"

I gulp, trying to avoid his face, "L-Look, Kaso, there's so much evidence that proves you wrong."

"Oh really?" He raises an eyebrow, "Give it to me, baby. Give it to me real good."  
"You're disgusting," Haruka mutters.

With another nervous swallow, I turn to Mitsuharu. He's picking at his nails again, until he looks up as if he can feel my eyes on him. 

_He knows I didn't do this. But I can't say we were together. Or we'll all die_

"The room before the bodies has a B person in it," I say, "It would have been pretty difficult for me to slip into the room and kill Mamo without being seen."

"I think the best plan of action here is to decipher what happened first," Mitsuharu declares, "Find out exactly how the crime took place and what went on. We figure out the numbers after that."

The group seems to collectively nod, apart from a few odd ones who would likely rather die than participate.

"So," Kuroko straightens her glasses, "What we found at the crime scene...a shower cord and some bloody sheets." 

"And some crappy piece of paper, apparently," Daiki says with a shrug.

"Not much to go with here, is there?" Kohi grips his satchel, sighing, "Oh god, we're gonna die!" "C'mon guys, not yet," Haruka says, clenching her fists, "We can't give up now." 

"Correct," Mitsuharu says, "Now, that's basically the only evidence we have, there's not a lot else to go off of."

Silence once again - complete, dead silence besides the occasional cough or shuffle. 

We're lost already. And the trial has barely started. Just quiet, no one saying a word.

"Do we...have this piece of paper?" Ayana says, eyebrow raised, "Surely you kept it, right?"  
"Oh, right!" Kuroko clasps her hands together, grinning, "Hey, Aki? You kept the paper I gave you, right?"

Aki looks so much smaller now she's on the ground, lone and frail. Face pale, her eyes are sunken and desolate, like they've never seen light. She rubs her skinny little arm, scratching at her elbow as she shakes her head, "I got it. I'm not taking it out."

"Why not, Aki?" Kohi says, "We need it, y'know? Come on."

"You can read it out to us if you want," Haruka says with a smile, "That could be fun, right?"  
"No," Aki says again, hiding her head in her shirt, "I'm not smart enough to read."

"For god's sake," Mitsuharu says with a sigh, marching to her podium and snatching the paper from her pocket. She doesn't protest, only able to slightly poke her tongue between her lips as some attempt at mockery. 

Once back at his stand, Mitsuharu unfolds the paper, "We found this on the door of the crime scene. Urging us not to use the bathroom. There's blood on it too, no prizes for guessing where that's from."

"And Amai's body was in the bathroom, right?" Kuroko says, tapping her chin, "Huh. That was very silly of Amai. Going in the bathroom while it was out of order. Maybe she needed to throw up?"

"Hold up, hold up!" Monokuma shrieks, his voice shrill enough to scare Daiki, "I'm sorry, you found what now?"

Mitsuharu seems utterly puzzled, showing the paper to the bear, "Uh, this? Is there a problem? The handwriting looks like something you'd do." 

"I didn't bloody do that! Hell, I'm insulted honestly," Monokuma sighs, "I take very good care of toilet facilities, whether mine or yours. That bathroom was not out of order!"

"Maybe someone clogged it?" Kohi says, before flushing, "L-Like with too much toilet paper? Not...the other stuff."

"No no no no no!" The bear shrieks, "I won't stand for this slander! The toilets don't clog, they're designed not to. Are we 100% clear?"

"Yeah, we're clear," I say, grinding my teeth.

"That solves that mystery then," Kohi says, "S-so, the killer did the murder, hid the body in the bathroom and then put the sign on the door so no one would see?"

"Seems to make the most sense, huh," Haruka taps her chin, "But, why didn't they put Mamo in the bathroom. At least, if we're talking one killer."

I glance back at my handbook, scanning through the case file, "Well, Mamo died at 5:10, and I walked in after the next rotation."

Glaring at Kaso, I continue, "Which, by the way, is only the first piece of evidence to prove my innocence."

Expecting him to falter, I'm surprised when his smirk doesn't fall in the slightest bit. It only seems to widen with every second he remains alive. 

"But, chances are the killer didn't really think about it." Haruka agrees, concluding my statement."

"So, hold on," Ayana says, "Are we talking one killer here or two? I mean, knowing that will make thing easier."

Daiki rolls his eyes, "No shit, Sherlock. Would seeing them stab up Mamo make things easier too?"

Shiro tenses, his fists shaking so hard I swear I can hear them vibrating. 

_This trial is going nowhere. We've barely made any progress._

_Are we screwed?_


End file.
